Consequences of Love
by Rose White007
Summary: Takara Hinoson spent her life living in the shadows. Inherited violet eyes have always drawn the wrong types of attention, but after contending with would-be kidnappers she finds herself living a new life in the castle of Clarines. There she captures the heart of the first prince. The question is this: Can they overcome the barriers that stand in their way? Izana/OC, AU, COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story happens during no time in particular, but before Izana becomes king. AU. Izana x OC**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Akagami no Shirayukihme and** ** _probably_** **never will. This fan work is just for fun! (This disclaimer applies to all subsequent chapters of this story.)  
**

 **CHAPTER 1**

The sunlit afternoon was unusually warm, yet she could not find it within herself to pull back the hood of her cape or remove her facial covering. This silence was too complete. Colored leaves rustled in the breeze, yet there were no chirping birds, no scampering squirrels. Something was amiss.

"Hey, you there!"

Bandits.

"Tch," she muttered. Another run in? This was the second in a month. Chances were she wouldn't be so lucky this time around... She tightened the drawstring of her hood, though she realized it would do little good at this point.

"If you don't want trouble then give us what 'cha got."

How many were there? she wondered. More than just one or two. Four shadows and there were likely others still within the forest.

It wasn't much, but she tossed her small bag to the ground. In a situation like this, when she was obviously outnumbered, it was better to be as compliant as possible.

"This can't be all!" A hand clamped down on her shoulder, the jostle caused her head covering to shift. "What else have you got in–"

"Holy–!"

"You're _that girl!_ "

She tried to run, shoved the closest man away and darted forward, but as she'd suspected there were more hidden within surrounding trees. It was hardly a fair fight. Moments later she was immobilized, forced to kneel as her arms were restrained by the criminals.

"Hey, how much do you think we can get for her?"

Already thinking ahead. These weren't average blundering dolts wandering the trails in search of hapless travelers. They seemed like an established group.

"As much as we want, I'd say. Everyone's been lookin' out for you, princess."

It would do no good to talk back now. If they thought her a weak, frightened girl they'd underestimate her and that might be her only chance of escape.

"You're worth at least your weight in gold. It was nice of you to come out here for us." He gripped her chin, forcing her to look up; she finally got a good look at her captors as the one who appeared to be the leader pulled the mask off her face. "Just like they said. Violet eyes so bright they shine."

Not the stereotypical roadside thieves, not the type she would have suspected of being outlaws if she'd chanced upon them in some other setting. They were well dressed, the fabrics looked expensive and the pieces were tailored, though they did keep their faces hidden.

"And hair as black as night, curled in such an unusual way," he fingered a piece of her hair. "I didn't think the rumors were true, but I guess the shipyard fools aren't just talk after all."

So that was where she'd made a mistake, though even thinking back she couldn't remember having exposed herself to anyone. She'd been careful to keep her face and hair hidden, but even her cautious approach wasn't infallible. It seemed no matter how well she planned she was destined to live on the run.

She'd been in situations like this before, tried to reassure herself that she would escape once again, but this was perhaps the worst time to be captured. She was too tired to fight as hard as she would have too, too weary to form a plan on the fly.

All her life her physical features had brought nothing but trouble. Sent away by her distraught father when she looked too much like the wife he'd loved so dearly, passed off to a servant when the nobles who'd taken her in had a son of their own, made to leave again for her own safety when a rich man decided he wanted to take her as a mistress, and countless times since she'd been forced to leave a place of comfort simply because of the way she looked.

She found herself wishing, as she had before, that her mother had survived the birth. If she truly was as similar to the woman as she'd been told, then perhaps she could have learned from her. Then again maybe it was just good fortune that led to the marriage of her parents. She knew very little about them or the circumstances surrounding their relationship. She'd never spoken to either and she'd accepted that she would probably never know anything more.

Hands bound behind her back she was pulled to her feet and pushed forward, however the procession had not gone far when the sound of approaching footsteps was heard.

"You there!"

Men in uniform, maybe guards on patrol? She could think of no one else in the region who would be dressed as they, but she hadn't thought she'd wandered anywhere that warranted armed personnel.

Her captors scattered; one attempted to take her along, but when he slung her over his shoulder she kicked and shouted. Deemed too much of an inconvenience she was dropped back to the ground as the hulking male tried to make a run for it.

"Miss, are you alright?" If he was surprised by her appearance he did a good job of hiding it behind a mask of professionalism. She supposed that was to be expected of a royal guard of Clarines, in the capital of Wistal. She'd heard that this kingdom was well run, it was the reason she'd decided to attempt to make a new life in the area.

She would have answered him, he looked truly concerned, but upon landing on the dirt she'd hit her head and that, coupled with exhaustion, made it all too easy to fall into unconsciousness.

/~/

"Takara-san," a soft voice murmured. A gentle hand felt her forehead. "Are you awake now, Takara-san?"

It was several moments before she was able to comprehend what was happening around her. As her hazy gaze began to clear she took in the scenery.

A sickbay. She'd been transported, probably by the guards who'd rescued her, to a treatment center. Well, it made sense. What else would they do with an unconscious woman who'd obviously been in peril?

"Takara-san."

She blinked and answered, "I am awake," head swiveling to see who spoke. She was stunned to see a girl, her age she thought, with hair of a shade she'd never seen before; red as any apple. Her clothing suggested that she was a doctor. Young for such an important position, but she could be an apprentice. "But, may I ask, how do you know my name?" She spoke cautiously.

"Ah, well, you woke briefly, though you may not remember it, on the way here. The guards asked for your name and that was what you told them. Now, can you explain to me what happened? The sentries told me what they saw, but I need to know what you experienced."

Takara considered not speaking, but there was nothing to be gained in subterfuge.

"Maybe you can understand," she said as she pushed into sitting position. The attendant fluffed a pillow, placed it behind her back in a helpful gesture. "To have a– _different_ quality is sometimes a detriment."

Green eyes widened before softening. "Yes. I understand."

"In that case you can imagine the circumstances. I was alone and accosted by a group of brigands. I had a face mask, and a hood, but the pack I was carrying didn't meet their expectations. I'm not sure what they planned to do in that moment, but as soon as they saw...Well, whatever they'd thought they would be doing changed. When the guards came I was being led away. The thieves tried to run with me, but I fought back and was dropped. I hit my head and that is the last thing I remember."

Notes were jotted down and Takara broke the ensuing silence with a question. "Where am I?"

"Oh!" The red head snapped up as cheeks flushed. "I really am sorry! You don't know anything right now. My name is Shirayuki and I am a Pharmacist of the Royal Court. This is the infirmary in the castle of Clarines."

"In the castle?"

Emphatic nodding. "Yes, you were just outside it, did you not realize?"

"I did not. I was only trying to keep away from curious eyes."

A sympathetic expression. "For now you should rest. I'll have someone bring a tray of food, something easy on the stomach. You seem a bit underweight."

That was to be expected. It was difficult to eat healthily when constantly on the move. Doing odd jobs only brought in so much income and it was easy to loose anything gained. Calories were burned and never replaced on a daily basis.

The privacy curtain was pulled to surround her bed and Takara was left to consider her position.

Shirayuki, whoever she was, was the first person Takara had ever met with a similar affliction. It was an interesting coincidence, but she wasn't one to seek out friendship. Relationships of any sort had brought her nothing but trouble.

/~/

"It seems she was attacked," Shirayuki was relaying her encounter with the stranger to Zen later in the afternoon. They stood together in a deserted corridor, a meet-up orchestrated by Obi when he realized his Master was growing restless. "It kind of hit me hard because I can understand her problem."

"Hm," he folded his arms as he paced to the other side of the hall. "I'll think of something." He spoke with conviction, a familiar shine in his eyes, and he was rewarded with the smile he so loved to see.

The two parted then, both duty bound and with little free time to spare, but as Zen had promised his mind remained on the new problem. This girl, Takara, was in a similar position to Shirayuki and he couldn't help but feel obligated to step in. She wasn't from Clarines, but she'd traveled to his home country for a reason; certainly she hadn't come to be kidnapped and he felt responsible for her safety.

With a sigh he realized that regardless of what _he_ wanted, there was one above him who held the power. He couldn't just offer this stranger a position in the castle to keep her safe; his brother would hear about it and interfere. The only thing to be done was inform him ahead of time and try to sway his decision.

"Eh? Where are you going?" Mitsuhide asked as his friend and sovereign strode from the work room, moving to follow as he stepped into the hallway.

"You heard about that girl in the infirmary?"

"Of course, everyone was talking about her."

"Well, Shirayuki was attending to her and it seems the gossip is true."

"What? Really? I thought it was overblown," his tone was awed. "She's really that striking? Doesn't sound possible."

"Regardless it's not safe for her to leave. She was almost abducted only hours ago. From what Shirayuki told me this woman has been in that position before. We can't send her away in good conscience, not knowing what kind of danger she faces."

"So, you're going to talk to _him_?"

Zen froze for a beat, nodded stiffly, and continued forward. This was not an encounter he looked forward to. Rarely did he seek the company of the first prince of Clarines. He was a good man, overall, but the two were of different dispositions and, even though he was his brother, Zen didn't feel confident in approaching the future king about this matter.

Still, he couldn't do nothing. It would be wrong to make Takara leave when they were conscious of her circumstances and his brother needed to understand the situation.

He left Mitsuhide outside the door to the office space occupied by Izana.

"Little brother, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Lord brother, a girl was brought here by our guards."

"I am aware."

"We can't send her back out there."

The elder of the Wistaria siblings considered his younger brother's words. "In fact I had already come to that conclusion, Zen, but I am glad to see this type of proactive approach. You are dismissed." It was with a certain amount of satisfaction, and a small smirk, that he watched the young man stalk from the room fuming.

The truth was he'd been debriefed by the attending guardsmen hours ago, immediately after her admittance to the infirmary. He was deeply troubled by the account he'd been given, more so because a few of the would-be kidnappers had eluded capture. Even now there were men searching for the criminals, but they would be difficult to find. It was possible they'd set off to leave the country altogether, but he doubted they felt that threatened. If anything they were angry and would seek to find the girl if she were to be released.

Not only was that something he didn't want on his conscience, but it would reflect badly upon his country if she were to be harmed again.

If she was agreeable he would put her to work, perhaps in the kitchens as they'd just lost an employee to marriage.

He would speak to her directly.

/~/

"The first prince of Clarines requests your presence."

She was in no position to refuse.

Shirayuki attempted to soothe the newcomer. "Izana... I mean, the first prince, is a good person. A bit intimidating, but he is dedicated to his position and a fair judge of circumstances."

Takara had nothing else to base her thoughts on, she'd never met the man, but those under his employment seemed to be kind, hard-working people and the temperament of an employee reflected upon their leader.

She did her best to quell her nerves, but this meeting was still a source of some anxiety. She'd never had contact with royalty before and doubted that she could even pretend to follow protocol. There were surely established ways of greeting and speaking, but this was not her country and common courtesy would have to suffice.

A uniformed man led her to a sitting room, requested that she wait for the prince to appear, and left through the door they had entered.

It was strange to sit in a place of such understated elegance. In the past she'd been forced into the company of the wealthy and in her limited experience those of nobility were eager to flaunt their abundance.

There was no ostentatious display of luxury here, though it would be impossible to call anything 'cheap'. She didn't doubt the furnishings were worth more than any she'd ever seen; even the fabrics of the throw pillows felt different, nicer, than others. It seemed true royalty really was of a higher standard.

"Interesting..."

"What, may I ask, is interesting?"

She started. She'd not heard the entrance of another and with one glance she surmised that this must be Izana Wistaria, the first prince of Clarines. He was an attractive man and, as Shirayuki had warned, intimidating.

His hair was blond, perhaps shoulder-length and tied back into a tail. Icy blue eyes glittered with, she thought, a bit of amusement. He'd thought her moment of fright entertaining.

She felt her eyes narrow. That was not polite, but it wouldn't do for her to return his insensitivity in kind. She was of common birth, no rank, and she had nowhere to go if he decided to send her off.

Swallowing her pride was no easy task, but Takara was well aware of her standing and pushed her irritation aside in favor of good manners.

She stood from the settee, managed a curtsy though it had been years since she'd needed to greet anyone so formally, and rather than introduce herself answered the question. "The differences between groups of people, though perhaps it has more to do with the individual."

As she spoke he walked, took his place in a plush chair; her failure to begin with an introduction did not go unnoticed. He waved a hand, indicating that she should sit once more, before asking, "You refrained from presenting yourself, why?"

Truly, Takara thought, Shirayuki was right. Whether he was making an effort to intimidate her or not she couldn't say, but she thought he might be. His gaze was appraising and the half-smile didn't reach his eyes. She answered honestly despite her growing apprehension. "You would not meet with someone having no knowledge of them. As it is I'm sure there are guards just outside the door, prepared to impale me should I attempt to damage their first crowned prince."

He held the silence for a bit too long, watched as she grew uncomfortable with his lack of response. Her words were not calculated, he could discern that much, though he wondered at her blunt replies. There were few who spoke to him in that manner knowing full well his status.

He could think of only one in recent memory.

"It is as you say." Her relief was evident in her slightly relaxed posture. She'd grown more still with each moment he delayed speech. "I am aware of your name, but I confess that I know little more than that. As I'm sure you've realized I have been told of your circumstances, however before I extend any type of assistance I must know to whom I am entrusting duties."

He meant to offer her an occupation and she would gladly accept. Her life story, such as it was, would take little time to explain and she could think of no reason to lie, so she supplied the truth as she was wont to do.

"I am Takara Hinoson. I was born to a common family in the country of Mariquet. My mother passed away immediately after my birth and I was raised by a childless noble family, a Lord and Lady Willow, until I was four years old. At that time the Lady fell pregnant and when a son was born they relinquished custody to a servant in the household. She sent me away when I was thirteen for my safety and I have been a traveler for these last four years." She spoke matter-of-factly. Takara had long ago buried feelings of resentment and longing; it did no good to hold onto such volatile emotions. There was nothing she could do to change her past and harboring wrath against those she'd once relied upon did more harm than good.

Straightforward was her manner. Izana detected no hint of a falsehood, though he suspected she'd refrained from speaking in detail purposely. He could guess at what she'd left out.

"If what you've said is true I see no reason to suspect you pose a danger. I am an uncommonly good judge of character–"

He was a smug one.

"–and I offer you now a place of work–"

"I accept."

He blinked. It wasn't often that the elder prince was caught off guard. "I have not explained your position."

"Considering the alternative, something is better than nothing. I accept."

/~/

He was not the one to expound upon her duties, that was left to another. Izana found, however, that thoughts of the girl with the strangely colored eyes followed him for the rest of the day, though he left Takara's presence after only a few minutes alone with her.

She was a person of interesting disposition. Pragmatic, perhaps to a fault. Without a second thought, no hesitation, she'd accepted his offer of employment and her reasoning was logical. For someone in her position that was the correct decision. An offer of security was not to be turned down.

"Takara Hinoson of Mariquet. If possible I would like to have more information on that person."

"Yes, Izana-denka." The retainer bowed before exiting, intent on beginning the search for intel immediately.

In the meantime there were other things to be doing.

/~/

Takara had been briefed on her new responsibilities by a kitchen hand. She would work her way up from the bottom, a mere pot scrubber, and yet she could not complain about the situation. This was more stability than she'd had in years.

She was led to the residence hall, a place occupied by palace workers who did not have homes within walking distance of the castle, and left alone with a uniform. She was to change and report for duty directly.

It seemed a new chapter had begun in her life. Her days of running had come to an unexpected end, but she refrained from hoping that peace was within reach. Nothing was ever easy. To hope for harmony was presumptuous. The lower her expectations the shorter the fall if things didn't pan out and if, by some twist of fate, this turned out for the best she would receive the surprise gratefully.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Rinsing potatoes.

Cleaning the pans.

Peeling carrots.

Cleaning the dishes.

Shelling peas.

Cleaning the cutlery.

Mind numbing.

Takara blinked back a weariness that was not born of physical fatigue. No, this was a tiredness that descended upon her due to lack of stimulation. The change in circumstances was too abrupt and her mind struggled to comprehend the alteration. To go from living on edge daily, always watching the shadows and hiding who she was, to spending her days in a routine of drudgery was almost incomprehensible.

To make matters worse she felt unsure of her standing with the people around her. It wasn't that they were hostile, but it seemed as if they didn't know how to deal with her. Speech was stunted, conversations ended before they began, and eye contact was nonexistent.

She supposed she should have expected this. Her interactions with other people had never been of the usual variety; most often she was attempting to escape the company of some unwanted suitor, so even if everyone in the castle was as kind as could be, she doubted she would know how to socialize in a normal way.

One of the pitfalls of living on your own, and purposely shunning the institution of socialization, was that when the day inevitably came that you _had_ to be around people, you didn't know how you ought to conduct yourself. She was sure her personality would be thought to be standoffish and cold, but perhaps that really was her innate way of being.

If not by nature then nurture had been given free reign.

She couldn't recall ever being one for affection and even now she didn't desire friendship, so the treatment she received had little impact on her state of mind, but it did make for a difficult working environment. Still, as long as her tasks were completed she didn't think it much mattered what her level of camaraderie was.

For three days she'd done what was expected of her. For three days she'd been closed off on a lower floor of the castle, where the kitchen was located, doing only the most menial of tasks. For three days she'd contemplated throwing Prince Izana's generosity back in his face and making a break for it because _this_ amount of mindless toil was difficult to stand, but so far she'd been able to resist the impulse to drop the knife and run far away without looking back.

Despite her complaints, and they were numerous, she'd never once in her life felt so secure about her place in the world. She'd always been in one precarious position after another. If she wasn't being held against her will, she was hiding who she was to avoid that same problem. When she was young she felt unloved and burdensome. Looking back she could see that the servant woman had truly cared for her, but at the time she just felt unwanted.

That had been her inaugural experience with the ways of the world. A rich man and his son had come to stay in the house of the noble man and wife. The son, at least four years her senior, had been inappropriately attracted to the thirteen year old; when he insisted on taking her away with him the servant woman sent her off. Out a back door during the night, a poorly stocked pack all she could carry, and Takara was officially on her own.

Four years later, in the Wistal Castle kitchen, her duties weren't many and she questioned if that was because no one was willing to tell her to do more, or if this had been the skill set of the worker she'd taken the place of.

On the fifth day she'd had enough of the plodding and brought her objection to the man charged with doling out the duties of those in the kitchen.

"I am capable of doing more. If this is where I am needed then I will not speak of it again, but if there is more to be done give me the responsibility."

He did not argue with her. His quick assent was a welcome surprise, but she was concerned that he would not have so easily agreed to the requests of anyone else. She'd heard grumbled complaints about Aoi-san before, about how difficult he was to speak to, and the way he refused to change the schedule without at least three days notice. Why had he been so agreeable?

Takara soon learned that she was not the only one skeptical of his actions. A week after she entered the employment of the castle she overheard the stirrings of rumors about everything from how she came to be there, to the way she'd supposedly influenced the kitchen supervisor.

The whisperings of the laborers spread far and wide within a matter of hours, morphing from something close to the truth into wild narratives with almost no basis in reality.

Shirayuki was worried by it and, as Zen had more than once implored of her, she brought her troubles to him.

"Takara wouldn't do anything like that!" the apprentice pharmacist insisted. "I didn't speak to her for long, but I _know_ she wouldn't. Not only that, but everything is twisted at this point. Even though we know exactly what led to her coming here... There are stories sprouting up all over the place!"

For the second time in only a matter of days Zen found himself within his brother's chambers on behalf of a girl he'd not met.

"I know of the rumors making the rounds, however I think it would be interesting to see how our newest employee handles this controversy before stepping in."

Zen was sent away with that unsatisfactory answer, unable to argue against the will of his elder brother, and later explained to Shirayuki what he'd been told. Neither was content with the response, yet accepted that they would have to wait and see how the situation would be resolved without making a fuss.

/~/

After the departure of his sibling Izana returned to pursuing the missive sent by the man he'd dispatched to look into Takara Hinoson's background.

As far as he could find her story was true. The girl's father was still living, had apparently broken down in tears when he heard of her recent brush with capture, and was easily persuaded to explain his actions.

Takara had inherited her eyes and hair type from her mother, in fact when her current appearance was described Hinoson-san's complexion had turned ashen and he produced a portrait of his late wife. A small copy had been provided with the letter and Izana could see that this girl was a near perfect duplicate of her mother.

Distraught as he was with the death of his beloved wife Hinoson had been unable to imagine caring for a child who looked so like her. He gave her up instead, to the Lord he served under on the farm lands. As Takara had explained the noble couple was childless, but her father had not been aware of what transpired as the years progressed. As far as he'd known she was still living in the 'big house', perhaps lately married off.

The man was not intelligent, but he'd not had malicious intent in giving his daughter to others.

The Willow's were less forthcoming with information and none of the current household staff had any knowledge of Takara, but that was to be expected. Certainly neither the Lord nor Lady would wish to have a secret like that brought into the light.

Takara's trail ran from the house. There were old stories of a girl who'd been nearly kidnapped or sold, more than once, for miles.

It was a strange, sad tale, yet he did not feel too badly for Takara. She was a person of rare quality. After living on her own and physically defending her honor without assistance, she surely did not need anyone to step in over something so ridiculous as gossip.

With those diverting thoughts he took up his sword and left his work desk. He'd spent the last several hours steadily moving through all the papers upon his hardwood table and there would soon be more proposals to accept, reject, or put aside for further consideration, but while he had the chance a short tour of his domicile was in order.

His footfalls echoed throughout the halls, caused those within earshot to stand at attention and bow as he passed, murmuring their greetings.

He'd made his way to the lower floors when he happened upon a scolding in progress. It was a moment before he could place the voice, but as he stood still, leaning against the stone wall listening to the rebuke, he realized that the speaker was none other than Takara.

"–what's been said exactly, but I can tell you that this type of gossip points not only to your character, but that of your employers, who would be your rulers, correct? I have been here for eight days, _eight days_ , and what have I learned about this, this _place_? That the workers are immature! Hardly more than children who will take what they've heard, be it true or not, and make no effort to find the truth before spreading rumors-"

What the faces of his employees looked like before he turned the corner Izana did not know, but the moment their eyes landed upon his person embarrassment took hold. As well it should. To be rightfully chastised by a young woman, a new workmate no less, was something to be humiliated over.

Takara did not notice his appearance so, when his hand came down upon her shoulder, she froze momentarily before her head jerked to appraise him. Shocked she was, but he had little time to spare and it was more important to address his wayward workers.

"It is as Takara-san has said. Your poor behavior reflects upon myself and my brother. I would hope you've learned a lesson in all of this, that you will pass it on to any other rumormongers who may be among us. Time used speaking of matters on which you have no knowledge can surely be better spent."

Downcast gazes attested to the mood he left behind, but Izana felt confident that his guidance would be heeded. This mistake would not soon be repeated.

/~/

Thoroughly humbled by the words of their respected leader more than one culinary assistant requested the forgiveness of Takara. She was not inclined to concede, but pardon was reluctantly given when she considered the fact that she would be in the company of these people for some time to come. It would be a folly on her part to remain on uneven ground just because she was angry.

In the following days she gained more acceptance by those around her, they now sought to include the new addition in discussions and as her character was revealed, along with a few thrilling tales of past troubles, respect for the woman with violet eyes grew.

She saw little of Izana during her first month in the castle and after that he left for several weeks. The day of his return saw the kitchen in upheaval as they prepared for a homecoming feast. A few foreign dignitaries would be in attendance, having come to complete talks about some policy Takara knew little about. It was not in her nature to clutter her mind with details that did not pertain to herself.

"Suzuki, Lowel, and Dina will be serving along with Takara. Keli fell ill in the night and is restricted to the infirmary so we're short, but I think we'll be fine down here."

This would be her first foray beyond the kitchen for official duties and she was debriefed by each of the veteran servers.

"No eye contact is necessary," Lowel was straight to the point.

"All you have to do is take the covered dish to it's recipient. Obviously you'll be assigned only one person to serve, so don't worry about that," Suzuki tried to be soothing.

"Once your assignment has been given their food, step back to the wall and wait for them to indicate that they've finished. They'll place the tableware on the edge of the plate and when that happens remove their dishes, and then return to the floor. Here everyone is served at the same time, some countries have different customs, but the men who are visiting have been here before so they'll know what to expect," Dina took the task of explaining with precision.

By the end of it Takara was preparing for the worst. It wasn't that she couldn't follow direction, or even that the rules of engagement were complicated, she was worried for another reason.

She'd heard tell that one of the visitors hailed from Mariquet. She'd not been in her home country for near two years, but she'd left a path of intrigue in her wake and from what she remembered, of the common people at least, they had a tendency to hold on to things of interest. Not much happened in Mariquet. They were not a large producer of anything useful and they rarely played host to anyone of consequence. Any happening that was out of the ordinary would be told and retold for years.

All she could do was keep her head down and fulfill the duties assigned to her. Besides, her experience with palace rumors led her to take everything she heard with a grain of salt. It was possible there would be no visitor from Mariquet.

/~/

The first prince arrived with all the fanfare appropriate to his station in the early afternoon. Dinner was already in preparation and Takara received as much instruction as her fellows could provide. By the time the hour struck five she felt she'd prepared as well as could be expected with such short notice.

To her immense relief she was assigned the second prince, Zen. He was the more approachable of the brothers and, considering his relationship with Shirayuki, Takara thought him the more open minded of the two.

The salad was served without incident and each dining-room attendant breathed a sigh of relief; however their comfort was short lived when a guest of the first prince recognized the girl with vibrant orbs.

" _Takara_?"

She knew the voice and, to her silent horror, found that it was as she suspected. This man, though she no longer remembered his name, was the first to demand that she be given over as property. The son of the rich man in Mariquet. There could be no mistake, his face had not changed, and as the shock wore away his countenance changed. An angry sneer came to his lips; he'd not forgotten her as she'd forgotten him and he'd held onto his upset. She imagined he'd felt humiliated, cheated, when they found her gone the next morning and apparently he hadn't ever forgiven her for it.

Izana watched the scene unfold over the rim of a tea cup; it was as he'd thought. This young man, barely twenty-one in years, was the first to attempt to lay claim to Takara.

It was an interesting exchange, largely silent, and fortunately for everyone present Kain Tallow was able to gain a hold on his emotions before an outburst claimed him.

The rest of supper passed in relative calm, though Kain sent poorly concealed glares to Takara throughout the evening, who was then obliged to explain her past in more detail to Lowel, Dina, and Suzuki. They were shocked to hear that such a thing had happened to their workmate and privately resolved to stand as her guard for the duration of the Guest From Mariquet's stay.

Zen confronted his brother about the strange behavior of their guest later in the evening and his suspicions were confirmed. Izana knew full-well the reason for Tallow's behavior, but he would not speak of it except to say that he, "...was sure everything would be fine. Probably."

If he were to be honest, and Izana often found reason not to be, he would admit that he held a small worry over the disposition of Tallow. However, he would have little chance to interact with Takara so even if his fury simmered there would likely be no chance for it to boil over. Should the boy attempt to do harm to any of the staff he would have him thrown out.

/~/

Kain Tallow thought highly of himself, had been raised to believe that he was above most, and just as deserving of praise as any, so when he was seventeen years old and found himself completely taken with a servant girl, he demanded that she should be given to him. It never occurred to him that she may have a will of her own. Those of lower station were hardly to be counted and he'd been sure that what he wanted would be his. When she was nowhere to be found the next day, when a week passed and word came that a female matching her description had been seen many miles away, he was furious. He felt a fool, betrayed even. It was his first true disappointment and he'd not yet forgotten the bitter taste of dashed desire.

For four years he'd not been able to put away the thought of her, the servant, thirteen year old Takara with her purple eyes and hair black as ink. He'd not yet seen another who compared to her and doubted he ever would.

Age failed to improve Kain. He remained spoiled and his ego was bloated with a false sense of importance. The wealth of his family had little to do with him, yet as the only child and son it would all pass into his hands; this was common knowledge among the noble's in many regions and the Tallow's had been approached by more than one family hoping to make marriage arrangements.

In his estimation any woman should be glad for his attentions and they all had been, except for one and now, after years of failing to rid himself of her memory, she appeared before him again even more beautiful than she'd been four summers back.

He was of a mind to take her for his own, but this was not his land. He was only a guest in another kingdom, a powerful one at that, with two princes of great strength who would be on her side.

As full of himself as Kain was, he was not stupid. It would be foolhardy to attempt to take her away from Clarines while she was under the employment of the castle. Unless she left of her own volition he had no hope of bringing her back to Mariquet.

It was a fruitless wish and yet he could not give it up. His decision was made: Upon his return to Mariquet he would send some of his men to Clarines to watch for the day when Takara left this palace.

/~/

The guests of Prince Izana did not remain for long. One week after arriving they were back on the road, departing for their own homelands. Agreements had been reached, papers signed, and there was no further contact between Kain and Takara. All the same the woman in question was not at ease; he'd been visibly upset at the sight of her and she did not doubt that he was the type to hold firm to old grievances. It would have been idiotic to attempt to take her by force and he had to know that she would never agree to leave with him. Perhaps this would be the end of it, but she could not be so optimistic.

For now he'd left her sphere and it would not do to dwell on the unknown. She had responsibilities; though repetitive and sometimes dull she'd grown to appreciate the comfort of following a schedule, without the constant worry of being pulled from the road and locked away in a tower.

"Takara, come and eat now," Suzuki implored. "You have done more than your share of the work today already."

True though the words of her new friend were, Takara found that she was not inclined to spend another minute in her company. Suzuki was too talkative, too apt to tell tales, and after spending years in solitude it was difficult to stomach more than a few minutes at a time in the vicinity of the bubbly blond.

If she was not actively engaged in a task Suzuki was speaking. With her mouth full she was speaking. With a delicate object in her hands she was speaking. There was no subject too dreary, no observation that did not deserve to be made. The smallest change in the castle would be commented on. If the grass grew thicker in the east garden than the west Suzuki would report on it.

"I will take my meal alone today, I think."

"Oh, alright then!"

Fortunately she was also in a state of perpetual happiness. Suzuki took nothing to heart; no insult, no matter how obvious, could harm her.

Alone with her lunch bundle Takara sought a place to have her meal in peace. It was the feeding hour for many castle workers and it seemed every nook was occupied. No matter how far from the kitchens she wandered she could find no place safe from incessant chatter.

It was as she began to backtrack that she met with Izana. He too was in search of a quiet place. Though he'd never been one to shirk duty the Lord Haruka had been especially dire in his warnings against Zen's relationship with the pharmacist Shirayuki; since that morning the man had been attending to work with the first prince, all the while railing against the increasing amount of time that Zen spent with the redhead.

Izana didn't have the heart to tell the man that his brother had already declared an intention to marry her.

He did not make a habit of sneaking around his own home, but when one had as many demands as he did it was sometimes necessary. When productivity began dropping it was beneficial to take a break and rest the mind, but Haruka-dono was not of that inclination. So, slipping from the room and giving orders to every guard he passed _not_ to tell _anyone_ where he'd been was necessary to his peace of mind.

Izana saw Takara before she noticed him; he would later thank his lucky stars for that turn of fate because he'd not been able to help staring for several moments. If she'd turned, if she'd spoken, he wouldn't have responded coherently.

She stood with her back to him, just inside an archway that led to a small courtyard. Even from behind he could see that her time in the castle had done wonders for her health. When Takara first arrived she'd been thin in the extreme, an understandable condition, but three months of consistent nutrition, better hygienic care, and decreased physical labor led to significant change. She stood taller, her hair fell in spirals, and from this vantage point he could perceive that her figure was fuller.

He understood now why so many had attempted to take her captive. Upon his first look the only feature to stand out were her eyes; those who'd tried to steal Takara had seen potential he'd missed.

Izana approached silently. Again he would surprise her with his appearance; this would be the third time.

He was not disappointed. Takara felt as though her heart ceased to beat in the moment that his hand rested upon her shoulder and she was sure she almost jumped out of her shoes at the fright.

"Stop _doing that,_ " a wild gasping. She nearly choked on her words when her mind caught up with her mouth. This was the first prince to whom she spoke, not some common worker!, but he did not appear offended by her informal speech.

"I would, but you are too easy to surprise. If you learn to be more observant you will hear my step and be able to prepare yourself." Though, secretly, he hoped she never would. There weren't many who reacted to his presence so forcefully and he felt it would be endlessly entertaining.

She couldn't help but argue for herself against his accusation. "I am an observant person, it was a necessary skill. You do this to me purposely and I cannot defend myself against an attack of this sort." Short of looking over her shoulder at ten second intervals and even that might not be enough. His silent way of walking was obviously an ability he'd worked to develop.

Her defense saddened him. Indeed the power of observation would have been essential to her life outside his domain. However, he did not tell her this; instead he dismissed himself. "I see that you are taking a spell away for lunch, I, however, have no such time for leisure." He thought he saw her roll her eyes as he swept away.

Thoughts of Takara remained with him for many hours and he did not attempt to dislodge them; they were a welcome distraction from the warnings of Lord Haruka. Truly Izana was tempted to support Zen's inclination just to see what the man would do when the red haired girl became a more permanent fixture in their lives.

It was an amusing idea at least.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: The 'lovestruck' definition is inspired by wikipedia.**

 **CHAPTER** **3**

Takara was sent to town, along with Lowel, to find a certain vendor who was capable of ordering an ample supply of a rare spice.

She'd been wary of leaving the castle. The people in her day-to-day life had gained her trust to the extent that she didn't expect any of them to try and kidnap her, but the same could not be said for the people of Clarines. Her last encounter with a group of citizens had knocked her unconscious, but Lowel's companionship on this journey was enough to make her accept the directive.

He was of tall stature. Dark hair and dark eyes, combined with a permanent scowl, served to make him an imposing figure who she thought capable of keeping even the boldest of criminals at bay.

There was more to her acceptance of this task though; she knew that no one would grow accustomed to her unusual features if she kept herself hidden. Remaining in the kitchens was easy, but there would come a time when she _had_ to leave and it would be better to do so under her own power first. In any case there was really no way to hide her eyes short of wearing a veil and _that_ would draw just as much attention, so she'd decided that now was the time to begin acclimating the populace to herself.

It was an uncomfortable walk to the shopping center; none dared approach, but staring couldn't be helped. She supposed this was something she would have to grow used to. There would always be an element of the population who gaped. At least here and now she did not have to fear being carted off by some stranger on a mission.

The merchant was easily found, her stall was a large one and the wait in line was near twenty minutes, but the palace's order for seasonings was gratefully accepted; the two returned to the castle with written conformation and an estimated delivery date that was one week out.

Standing in a line full of curious people hadn't turned into the torture she'd expected. Few asked about her eyes or hair, though a couple commented that Clarines had attracted unique people in recent years citing the royal pharmacists Ryu, the young genius, and Shirayuki, the woman with red hair who was close to the beloved second prince Zen. It seemed to be a source of pride.

Perhaps the people of this kingdom would accept her yet.

/~/

Izana had precious little time for thoughts of women, other than his mother who remained at Wilant Castle and he had no cause to be concerned about her. So why was it, he wondered, that he could not help thinking of Takara?

His thoughts of her were only small musings that entered his mind as he went through the motions of reading and sorting tedious paperwork, but he could not recall a time when he'd thought of another in a similar way. Excepting Zen.

It was a curious development.

He supposed he felt an understandable measure of concern for the girl. That was a reasonable explanation. Takara had been under palace employment since early autumn and the days were growing colder, perhaps he was worried for her health.

But, that was an errant care and unnecessary. He had no reason to fear for her. The royal pharmacists would be prepared to handle any illness she may contract in the winter months and she'd likely developed a healthy immune system in all her days of travel.

With those accommodating reflections he attempted to put Takara out of his mind, but it seemed this chore would not be so easily accomplished. Through his unwanted thoughts of her he continued his work, tried to ignore the growing and alarming desire to request her presence, and silently berated himself for developing such an inappropriate affliction.

There was no call for this. He'd never been distracted by a woman before and now was _not_ the time to have the experience. In fact, he thought it would be preferable to live his life without ever experiencing the hardship. Unfortunately it seemed that he was destined for another fate because even now, after near twenty-four hours away from her, she remained in his mind.

The unwanted thoughts were temporarily put aside when his retainers arrived for a meeting. Many things were discussed and for one hopeful moment he thought he was finally rid of her, but the topic of inter-castle relations was brought to his attention and she returned full force as most of this discussion centered on her arrival and the ensuing days of confusion.

It was mentioned by one that she'd brought the rumor mill to a full crescendo, another spoke of her work ethic as described by other kitchen aids, and someone else mentioned that she'd gone into town that morning.

"It would seem," Izana's quiet tone brought the speech of the others to a halt. "That she is a source of interest to many, however it appears that this is not impeding work that must be done." He did not look at the men he spoke to; instead he kept his eyes on the papers before him, moving one to a side pile and pulling another forward. "There are other things to discuss."

The meeting continued, the topic of Takara passed into something less than gripping, though far more important Izana told himself, and it was near two hours later that his advisers were dismissed. Plans had been made for another trip away from the castle and preparation would begin immediately for this important visit to Lyrias.

/~/

"They say he is to be engaged!"

With Izana's departure came gossip; the reason for his trip to Lyrias was the topic this time. Truly Takara was not interested in this talk, she did not care to know about the personal affairs of anyone at all, but Suzuki could not be dissuaded and even Dina seemed curious enough to listen.

"To whom?" The brown-haired woman couldn't help but ask. As focused as she normally was on her duties this chitchat held her attention.

"To Haki-san! She is the Head of the Academy District at Lyrias and he has gone to make the engagement official!" Suzuki was near vibrating with excitement.

"That sounds awfully formal," Takara muttered.

"Of course," Dina told her. "This _is_ royalty we're talking about. It's no simple matter to marry the man who will be king."

She supposed that was true, but her thoughts on the matter remained unchanged. What sort of marriage would come of one put together this way? Then again, she didn't really care. It was no business of hers who the first prince married or how he went about finding his bride.

"She is very intellectual," Suzuki enthused. "And beautiful. I saw her once when she came here to give a report, but that was before you arrived Takara. I wouldn't have guessed they were to be engaged then."

"Well, however it turns out we're not involved," Dina said. "We have no say in it."

Suzuki sighed. "Yes, I guess that's right... But, it's still exciting! Maybe there will be a wedding soon!"

"That will mean more work for us." Takara was not partial to the thought. "Think of how many guests there will be and how long they'll stay!" She shook her head, annoyed with the very idea; a royal wedding would be nothing but a nuisance to her.

She left the company of her co-workers soon thereafter and retired to her small bedroom within the lodging house. It was nothing to brag about, but neither would she complain. The bed was comfortable, the window looked west, and she had perfectly adequate storage for her few items of clothing.

Her work for the day was done. After spending the last two days covering for an ill workmate, and after having done the same the week before, she'd been given two and a half days of 'vacation' time. What they thought she would do with herself she had no idea, but though she'd protested mightily her objections feel on deaf ears. She would have no duties for the next two days.

There was nothing to be done. She supposed that rest was the first order of business, but one could only do so much sleeping. What was she to do with so many hours? She could hardly remember a time when she was without an occupation. Prior to this new phase of life she'd always been on the move, looking out for danger and hoping to have a day's travel in peace. To think that she was expected to do _nothing_...

She couldn't even imagine it.

/~/

In the end Takara's holiday was short lived. The next morning she was called upon to fill in for yet another poorly worker. It seemed an illness was slowly working it's way through the staff and was easily passed from one host to the next. It was not a serious sickness, but it was enough to confine the ill to bed for a day. The royal pharmacists produced medication to deal with the symptoms and health soon returned, but for a week and a half there was no escaping the malady.

By that time the first prince had returned, but as he'd not brought the rumored fiancee with him the excitement was limited.

"Aww," Suzuki whined. "I was hoping _so much_ that there would be an announcement!"

"We can't expect something so soon," Dina reasoned. "Even if they _are_ engaged now there are probably still things to discuss. It would be stupid to declare something like that without being sure."

Lowel, who was passing through the kitchen, made no comment and Takara also refrained from remarking on the discussion.

Her time off was set to begin in the morning. For the moment it appeared all was well within the kitchens and she would not be needed for a couple of days. Again she'd tried to argue her way back into the flow of things, but her attempts were thwarted on all fronts. She was not to work and she would not be allowed to even if she begged.

"Everyone needs to rest sometimes, Takara." Dina's tone was stern. "It would not do for you to work yourself to a point of exhaustion. This way your time is scheduled and prepared for, rather than taken suddenly."

She could not argue against that point and supposed it was logical. She did not _feel_ that she was on the edge of collapse, but it was better to take time away long before she fell into crisis.

So, with her arguments taken from her, she had nothing to do but accept that she would spend two days in quiet solitude. Perhaps it would not be so bad as she'd thought it would. She'd lately discovered the palace library and had learned that she was welcome to visit it whenever she had the time.

/~/

The next morning indeed found her within the library. She entered on the first floor and spent many minutes pursuing the shelves in search of something to read. In the end she found herself seated at a small round table surrounded by books on everything from the history of Clarines to the current theories of science.

Takara was not aware that her study was observed. Izana stood on the balcony above, gazing down upon the black-haired girl with a slight frown. A thought had occurred to him, one he did not like, and the longer he watched her the more he felt certain that his intuition was correct.

It was not until a missive was brought to her and received, opened and read, that he realized exactly what it was he felt. When she began to cry he found himself moving down the winding staircase before he could form a coherent thought and her surprised jump, when he placed a hand on her shoulder, did not bring him a smile as it had before.

He did not allow her step away, though he could have and one part of him berated the other for this failure, instead he took her letter for himself. She did not protest this as she was too busy trying, and failing, to wipe her eyes and stop the flow of tears.

The script was not elegant and hardly legible, but Izana understood enough to see why it had caused her to cry. Her father had sent this, apologizing for his failures and for her difficult life. He told her that he'd not known of her troubles, had only thought that she remained at the home to which he'd sent her, and begged forgiveness for his neglect.

The handkerchief Izana offered was grudgingly accepted and though she demanded to be allowed to wash and return the object, he insisted that she keep it.

"Think of it as a gift," he said in an offhanded tone as he strode away, ignoring her attempts to change his mind. A gift it was; he could not deny it no matter how badly he wished to.

This was foolishness, all of it nonsense.

It seemed that he was no better than Zen.

/~/

There was something very wrong with her. Had she not been in tears over the sentimentality of the letter sent by her father only moments ago? What was this fluttering in her stomach and why had she stuttered so badly when attempting to return the first prince's handkerchief?

She felt slightly ill, yet simultaneously an irrational happiness had her biting back a smile.

This was a bizarre combination of emotions and she didn't think she'd ever felt anything like it before.

Luckily she was in a library filled with books on a variety of subjects, including illnesses.

Takara made quick work of finding tomes related to her new interest and took to page flipping in hopes of finding an explanation for this sudden turn of ill health. Much to her dismay there didn't seem to be anything viable listed within her range of symptoms. She doubted this was life threatening, but–

"Lovestruck _?"_

 _ **Historically, being lovestruck has been viewed as a short-lived mental illness brought on by the intense changes associated with romantic love.**_

 _ **Some of the symptom clusters shared with being lovestruck include:**_

 _ **Abnormally elevated mood, inflated self-esteem, extravagant gift giving, tearfulness, loss of concentration and difficulty sleeping, high blood pressure, pain in chest and heart, and acute insomnia. Preoccupation and hoarding valueless but superstitiously resonant items, psychologically created physical symptoms such as upset stomach, change in appetite, insomnia, dizziness, and confusion.**_

Absurd. She was going to return the handkerchief, not keep it in remembrance. She felt nothing of the kind for Izana.

Takara shook her head violently. That was too familiar of her! He was not 'Izana', he was the first prince of Clarines. The _engaged_ first prince of Clarines. Only a fool of the worst kind would develop romantic feelings for that sort of character.

Still, perhaps she ought to be on her guard against the abstract sickness. It seemed far too easy to mistake his actions for kindness when they likely were not.

Books returned to their rightful places and Takara abandoned the library, hoping to put those ludicrous thoughts behind her, but the sentiment was not so easily uprooted.

She found herself in the gardens, wandering amongst the hedges, unable to forget the odd sensation that had come when he presented her with the square of cloth. A near painful tightening in her chest, as if her heart was somehow restricted, and a strange urge to reach for him as he swept away.

Surely that could be attributed to her other emotions in that moment? She'd been upset by the letter and Izana, no, _the first prince_ , just happened to be there. She was grateful for his comfort and perhaps she'd been a tiny bit flattered, but that was all. There was nothing more to it, no deeper meaning.

Or so she tried to tell herself, but upon realizing that she was reflexively dabbing at her eyes with the handkerchief she was forced to consider the possibility that she was experiencing an early stage of the so-called 'Lovestruck' illness.

It was almost laughable, the idea that she could be on the edge of falling in love. She'd never held any sort of romantic inclinations, had been running from those who did for many years, and to think that she should fall prey to those silly notions was loathsome. Especially when she considered that Iz- _the first prince_ , was already engaged to a woman of rank and distinction.

She would not allow this to happen. She _would not_ be in love with anyone at all, much less the first prince of Clarines.

With those discontented thoughts in mind Takara puttered around the garden, never realizing that she was being watched from an upper floor window by the very man she sought to put from her thoughts.

/~/

He was out of his mind, his heart was a traitor, and resistance was futile.

There was no single action of Takara's that he could point to for this failure of his, but he did hold her partially responsible for his undoing. Had she not been so strong willed, so painfully blunt and blindingly beautiful he would have never fallen for her.

But she was all those things and more and he could hardly blame himself for what happened; many before him had fallen into this trap, though he refused to follow the actions of those wayward simpletons. He would make no attempt to hold the girl against her will as countless others had. If they'd been in possession of any sort of sense they would have realized that _that_ was the surest way to ensure that she abhorred them forever; he was not as stupid as they had been.

Perhaps he was a bit dim though. Who in their right mind would allow themselves to become entangled with a person of low social status when they _knew_ that they had to marry well?

This was not a matter of vanity, but one of state. It would not do for the King of Clarines to wed below his station. Haki was not of direct royal blood, but she was a high ranking member of court, fair of face, and the Head of the Academy District at Lyrias. She knew well the demands that would be placed upon her and was prepared to stand under the strain that would come with her position. The people of Clarines already had a favorable opinion of her.

This was a duty he could not shirk; he could not indulge in levity the way Zen did. His younger brother held an important role, but being the second prince had afforded him a greater level of freedom than Izana had ever experienced.

In truth it was not impossible for Zen to be with Shirayuki, especially considering the way she'd begun to endear herself to the people of the kingdom. She'd already proven herself adept in the role of royal pharmacist and she had no intention of giving up on her goals; neither did Zen and, if he were being honest, he did not want to stand in the way if their feelings for one another were real and unwavering.

Zen had won that battle, but it would do no harm to let the boy flounder for a while longer. He could always use a consistent source of amusement and with the unwelcome entrance of Takara into his life–

And there she was again. Returned to his mind though he'd not invited her. He was not to be rid of her and he was not even sure that he wished her gone. Instead he found himself watching her as she ambled amidst the shrubberies, still holding onto his handkerchief.

His happiness at the sight was illogical and the frown, which came to his face when she suddenly threw the trinket to the ground and walked away from it, unrestrained. Not a minute later however she returned, with brisk steps, to retrieve that which she'd abandoned.

Her actions were incomprehensible. What was she doing now? Staring at the cloth with such an odd expression, bringing it to her face and touching it to her lips...

The hand he'd braced against the window tightened into a fist and the other ran through his hair. The direction his thoughts had taken was hardly innocent and, if the cherry-red coloring that flared upon her cheeks was any indication, neither were hers.

Was that possible? Might she be attracted to him?

Even if his newly realized feelings were not unrequited he held doubts about what could be done. Romance was out of the question, but perhaps friendship could be managed.

The roll of his eyes was involuntary as he thought about the way Lord Haruka would react should _any_ kind of relationship form. The man was highly mistrustful of Shirayuki's motives, how much more would he suspect a woman who was nothing but a kitchen aid?

Takara would not search him out, he knew enough of her character to glean that much, but it would be inappropriate for him to instigate publicly.

Izana made no attempt to hide the smirk that appeared as he wondered over the ways in which a friendship could be forged in secret.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

She was shocked to say the least.

 _Takara,_

 _You are to speak of this to no one, do you understand? Nod your head if you do._

What sort of letter was this?

 _I will assume that you did not do as I told you, though I am both your employer and a ruler of the country you've settled in._

What kind of man sent a letter like this to a woman he did not truly know?

 _I would like to be friends with you and while this may seem a strange way of presenting the idea–_

It did not just 'seem' strange, it **was** strange!

– _you must understand that in a position such as mine striking up friendships is not so easily done. Despite this difficulty I am offering myself to you for your consideration and, if you are agreeable to the idea, please find some creative way of making this known to me without the knowledge of others._

 _Your soon to be faithful friend,_

 _Izana  
_

He was... He was... Strange! Too strange! Why would he want her for a friend? Why did he ask this of her and why did he do it in such an odd way? What could have possessed him to put this plan into action?

Whatever the case she had a decision to make. Would she accept his challenge?

"Ahh." There it was, now she understood; this was a game to him, something to pass the time. She was a new addition to his castle. Likely he'd devised some bizarre sort of test to find out what type of person she was.

" _...find some creative way of making this known to me without the knowledge of others."_

She would rise to this challenge and he would know that she was not one to be trifled with.

 **/~/**

If there was one thing Takara had never pictured herself doing it was floral arrangement and yet there she was, carefully placing freshly cut autumn blooms in a vase that would be displayed in the work space of the first prince.

She'd hidden her note within; two days after his missive arrived she'd come up with a plan to send one of her own. Under the guise of wanting to broaden her skill set she'd asked to be allowed to help with arranging flowers. It seemed that Izana was fond of floral décor.

In any event she'd had to prove herself capable, with less important arrangements, before she was allowed to even attempt work on the one that would stand within the future king's office. All told it had been near two weeks since his short letter had come to her and she wondered if he thought she'd decided to ignore it.

Tied to a stem, with an appropriately orange ribbon, her note sat well concealed as it was carted away. She'd had about ten seconds to secure the reply. After receiving the nod of approval she added the extra bit of embellishment, just before another worker came to remove the vase.

 **/~/**

"She took her time," he murmured with the barest hint of a smile. He'd spotted the out-of-place piece of paper almost immediately. It blended well enough with the rest of the decoration; he doubted anyone but the other flower arrangers would have noticed it, but he did wonder how she'd gotten it past inspection.

He supposed she would have added it the last possible moment, _after_ her arrangement had been sanctioned for release.

He'd heard tell of her new pursuit through the castle chain of gossip. This piece of information had come to him from Lord Haruka who remained suspicious of Takara's motives; while Izana had given him no reason to suspect that he was interested in the girl, it seemed that the older man was hedging his bets and taking the burden of keeping it that way upon himself.

That plan was backfiring, but Haruka was not aware that Izana thought her choice of skill a clue or that he'd been anxiously awaiting the fruits of her labor.

 _Izana-denka,_

 _I am not very amused by your decision to use me as entertainment and if you would like to be my 'friend', as you claimed, you would do well to find a less frustrating way of telling me so._

 _Takara_

Direct as always, though back handed in her insult. He was concerned by her assertion that he was interested in her simple for amusement, a perspective that could only be proven wrong with time and attention neither of which he had much to spare, but he _was_ serious in pursuing a relationship with her; he would make time where there was none.

When an adviser arrived for a meeting he went through the motions, but as the man prepared to leave he was sent off with instructions to request the presence of whomever it was that had arranged the new set of flowers.

 **/~/**

"If he was upset with them he would have called upon the director," she told herself. "There was nothing wrong with my arrangement. He's trying to frighten me."

Izana had not been descriptive in his demand to see the one who'd created his floral decoration, asking only to meet with that person while refraining from providing a reason. So, now she was following a man whom she assumed worked with the first prince, as he was not in uniform though well dressed, to a room she had seen once before.

She remembered that first meeting as if it had happened only yesterday, rather than months ago. Time seemed to have flown by since then. Had she really been in this place for so long? It had been many years since she'd felt safe to remain in one setting for more than a few weeks at a time.

Takara bit back a noise of discomfort. She knew she should thank Izana for that, it was his word that had given her the position in the kitchen, but it was difficult to express. Just saying, "Thank you," didn't seem like enough.

Maybe accepting his offer of friendship would suffice?

Well, it would have to, but did she need to make it so easy for him? She felt sure his was not the proper way to go about soliciting friendship. Then again she'd had few friends throughout her life, none until recently if she were being honest, but they'd not come into her life in such an unnatural way.

Of course he was right about his position and perhaps that played a larger role than she could imagine. Also, from the little she knew of his personality, this seemed right in line with previous actions.

It stood to reason that there were as many ways to make friends as there were people in the world. So, maybe his way wasn't exactly wrong, but she didn't think it the best either.

She was shown into his office and left alone with him. She wondered how long he would refrain from speaking if she said nothing first and resolved to wait it out.

He stood by the floor to ceiling length windows, a paper in hand. She thought he looked very much the part of a prince in that moment. Perhaps even a king.

What was it they talked about? His rumored engagement to a woman named Haki. Everyone seemed to think he would be crowned king before he married and the workers were awaiting any announcements with baited breath.

Takara didn't expect to remain in the service of the palace long enough to see a marriage happen. It wasn't that she was ungrateful for the safety she'd been offered, but she could not imagine doing this work for years on end. Her roughly made plans included remaining in Clarines, trying to find a private family to work for, and if that didn't happen maybe she would learn a skill working in a specialty shop.

Lost in her thoughts as she'd become Takara failed to notice when Izana approached from behind and, once again, his hand on her arm startled her badly.

"You! That is _not_ –" but his laughter stopped her complaint and she ended with a defeated sigh. She'd never heard him laugh before and found she liked the sound of it, though she did not accept his continued quest to frighten her. She would repay him this one day and warned him so. "Some day you will regret not being kinder to me, _friend_. Your bad behavior will come back to haunt you."

He sobered, though his smile remained, and replied, "Friends do not hold onto resentment."

"I am not resentful, merely warning you that all actions are eventually repaid in kind."

"If that is the case then I suppose I will soon find myself in possession of a wonderful reward," he stepped away, moved to his desk, and took up a letter. "This is to be given to Aio," she took the offered parchment with suspicious eyes. "You will be arranging _my_ flowers from now on."

"I have enough to do as it is! My other duties–"

"Are of no consequence," he interrupted. "Your position is entirely changed. I suspect you were bored with your work in the kitchens, am I not right?"

Takara tried very hard not to pout, but it was both difficult and infuriating. Why was she tempted to behave so childishly? He was correct about her feelings for the kitchen after all and she'd found more enjoyment than she'd expected in the work of a florist.

He continued speaking in her silence, noted that she did not seem disagreeable though neither was she accordant with his assessment. "There is more to this post than the flowers however, and you will work under Sakura-sama who is in charge of all things decorative." Izana fell to the couch, patted the spot beside him and was not surprised when she rebuffed him to sit in a chair instead. "Do you know that friends are not generally rude to one another?"

"Do you know that friends are not generally happy to see one another troubled?" she mocked, unwilling to give into his redirection so easily. "I was just growing comfortable with my obligations–"

He reached forward, attempted to take his letter back, "If you are very against this change I will not force it on you," and was pleased when she gripped it to her chest. However, he did attempt to snatch it away and she jumped up, dashed to the other side of the chair.

Nonsensical. Each thought this entire meeting was becoming silly and undignified, yet indeed they had a chase in Izana's office and it was only ended when Takara lost her footing and tripped forward. Izana, as he'd been directly behind and purposely failing to make the final catch, fell along with her. Both tumbled to the carpeted floor, with no injury other than embarrassment sustained, but Izana did not know this. So, when Takara covered her face and her shoulders shook, he was understandably worried for her safety.

He pried her hands away from her face only to find that she was not crying, but laughing. The sight shocked him so profoundly that he could hardly help joining in and before they knew it, it seemed impossible to stop. Unable to breathe, except through gasping breaths, they spent several minutes on the floor in hysterics. It was not until a heavy handed knocking sounded, that Izana recognized as belonging to Lord Haruka, that he made an attempt to put a cap on the merriment.

Though she'd already ceased her laughter he put a hand over her mouth and, in an entirely inappropriate move, pulled her to sit so that her back met his chest.

She protested this, squeaked loudly, but he shushed her. The last thing he wanted was for Haruka to walk in now. He'd not been so content in years and he would not loose this moment to a mistrustful old fool.

Leaning just his head around the corner of the desk, continuing to hold Takara closer than he should, he watched the crack at the bottom of the door. He could see the shadowed area, watched as it stepped back momentarily and then forward again, followed by another knock.

"Say nothing," he whispered. "He will leave if I do not answer."

She hissed in annoyance once he moved his hand away. "There is no call for this!"

"There _is_. You do not know the man as I do."

"Oh, and are you going to explain his character to me because I am _so interested_!"

A hushed dispute ensued.

"I will then," Izana grumbled. "He is Haruka-dono and I trust him implicitly, but he does not necessarily feel the same way about myself or my brother."

"You must know that I have no idea what that means," impatience was getting the best of her. "It would be better to say nothing at all if you're going to be cryptic," she spoke quickly, quietly, and glared at the one who imprisoned her. Even so, though truly annoyed, she also had to admit that she was not so adverse to the situation. He held one arm around her shoulders, circling her neck, and the other hand currently rested on top of her head. She thought herself foolish, but couldn't deny that this closeness was not unpleasant.

So much for fighting off lovesickness.

"Lord Haruka is trusted, but he does not trust easily. He's been suspicious of Shirayuki ever since she first appeared and he feels the same about you."

"About me? Ridiculous."

"It may be, but he doesn't see it that way." In truth his associate's fears were not unfounded, Izana acknowledged that now. In all honesty he was thankful for Lord Haruka's disturbance as it had led them to this position. When would he ever have another excuse to hold her this way? Even now it wasn't exactly befitting, but he thought his actions explainable should she call him out. This was to be the only time he would be allowed to hold her. Just this once and then never again; he'd resigned himself to the truth.

"Whatever the case," she muttered. "I guess that means being _friends_ is hard for you."

His nod was emphatic as he turned to look at the space beneath the door once more. The shadow had not left and another three rapts were heard a moment later.

Her sigh was aggravated. "I thought you said he would leave if ignored?"

"Normally he would," he considered the insistent rapping. "Ah. I suppose he has heard that you are here." It was amusing, but, "And now we have made it worse for he is likely terrified that I have been compromised."

"You?!" her eyes widened, indignant. "What about _me_?"

Izana could not help the laugh that escaped him at the look of horror upon her face; his exclamation was a bit too loud though. The knocking renewed and doubled in frequency.

"I will have to answer him now. Stand up."

Takara huffed and pressed her lips together as she stood, dusting off her dress and hoping she didn't look too terrible. "You speak as though I am at fault."

"Of course you are."

"I am not!"

"He will not believe you, though I will attempt to take the blame. That is what _friends_ do."

"That is what anyone should do as it's the truth!"

She skittered past him to take a seat on the settee, crossed her ankles and attempted to look as prim and proper as she ever had. His snort earned another glare.

Izana very nearly laughed again at the look on Lord Haruka's face. He'd turned a horrendous shade of violet in his anger and worry; it was clear to Izana that he'd guessed correctly. This would be an irritation in the days to come, but for the moment it was comical.

"Izana-denka," his voice was tight. "You did not answer with your usual speed."

"I did not," he acknowledged the charge. "My conversation was of the utmost importance."

His sovereign's tone left no room for argument or questions, but Haruka was not prepared to be sent away so soon. He'd been told that the first prince had called a meeting with the one who'd arranged the flowers for his work room; that had been no cause for alarm, but when it came to his attention that the one involved was that _purple eyed female foreigner_ he became justifiably concerned.

He'd gone to Izana's private rooms directly and, when the first prince failed to react to his presence, he'd realized that his fears were correct; _that_ _girl_ was in there with the man who would be king. Who knew what kind of place she was vying for? Surely her motivations were not pure, how could they be? Well, if she thought there would be no one to stand in her way she was sorely mistaken!

"Izana-denka, surely you are aware that it is not appropriate to spend extended time with a person of low social standing. Your position requires–"

"I am well aware of what my position requires, Haruka-dono." Takara shivered at the coolness of his tone; it was as if he could put ice into his words. "Now if you have something of importance to tell me, please speak. If not, please leave."

She did not turn to look, but she imagined that Lord Haruka would appear stricken. She'd seen him from a distance before, he'd always seemed very confident and carried himself with an almost regal air. She could only imagine the toll Izana's harsh demands were taking upon him.

Takara's silent ponderings were accurate. Haruka was visibly affected by the way he was spoken to, but he did have news to deliver as it happened, and it was exactly the kind that would put a forceful stop to whatever had been growing between the unworthy girl and Izana.

"Haki-dono will be arriving in three months time."

 **/~/**

Takara went to her bedroom soon after Lord Haruka's revelation, dismissing herself from their presence despite Izana's protest that she need not leave.

This was wrong, she knew it was. Friendship was not where they were heading, she felt sure of that now. What might have happened if they'd not been interrupted by the knocking? She couldn't be certain, but her own thoughts trailed into the land of fantasy and that was dangerous. There could be nothing between them and she thought even being friends impossible. It would be too easy to slip into another type of relationship. They got along too well.

Why was it that she'd finally found a person she was comfortable with only to find that he was a prince? Not only that, but a prince destined to be a king? What had she done to bring this upon herself?

Worse than those facts was knowing that he was indeed to be engaged. Izana had not made an argument of Haruka's declaration that Haki would arrive, he'd not said it wasn't important. That meant the rumors were true. She would come to be introduced as his fiancee and it was clear that Lord Haruka had been reminding Izana of this commitment.

It had nothing to do with her. As his friend she ought to have said something to congratulate him, maybe she could have mentioned that she'd heard gossip about the subject, told him that everyone she'd spoken to was very excited about the idea. She could have told him that this choice seemed like a good one; though she'd never seen Haki herself she'd heard only wonderful things about her.

So, why was it that she felt like crying? Why did she hesitate?

Takara shook herself. She had no reason to feel this way, there was no attachment, not yet. She would not approach Izana-denka again and from now on all their interactions would be formal.

Still, though her resolve was strong and she fully intended to see it through, her heart felt as if it was shattering.

 **/~/**

Izana dismissed Haruka with a brusque wave almost immediately after Takara disappeared down the hallway. He was furious, both with the meddling lord and himself. It seemed that a mere friendly relationship would be impossible with Takara, at least for him; he would have kissed her if they'd been left alone long enough and that was not the direction he'd meant to move in.

It was too late though. He did not think he could be without her. Despite the thinly veiled warning he'd been given, told that his intended betrothed would arrive in a matter of weeks, he could not imagine ending what he'd started. Takara meant too much to him now. It was no longer a simple matter of thinking her attractive, they were too compatible.

His distress was great and in this moment of desperation he penned a letter to his mother, detailing his affliction and the conflict he faced. He had it sealed and dispatched before he could change his mind, but nearly the minute it was out of sight he began to regret sending it.

Was he not an adult? Had he not dealt with important matters of state for years, on his own, with no trouble? How was it that this sort of problem sent him running to his mother for comfort?

He felt like a child and yet he could think of no solution except to keep Takara, though he would marry Haki, and she would not accept that sort of arrangement. Was he was as foolish as those who'd tried to steal her away? He did not think so, but he admitted to himself that did love her.

Still, he would not force her to be in his company.

The most he could do was try and communicate the depth of his feelings and hope that she would require him as he did her.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Her new position was a welcome change and Takara found herself thoroughly enjoying the work. She no longer spent her days in the kitchen; she was now an interior decorator, though her focus was on the floral arrangements and more specifically Izana's.

She was attempting to put him from her mind. Word of Haki's visit spread like wildfire and she knew the engagement was nearly set in stone. The woman would not come all this way for a pleasure visit. In all likelihood the official announcement would be made and Takara felt the need to rid herself of her small fondness before it happened. It would not do to be bound by the heart to a man who was to be married.

He was making it difficult to forget him though. In the last two days he'd sent her gifts that she tried, and failed, to refuse. A robe made of silk and a hair ornament, both lovely but nothing she required.

Izana would not take them back, claimed that her insistence was an insult to his character and sent her away dissatisfied. She feared that she would mistake this attention, that she would begin to see feelings that weren't there and hope for impossible things, but nothing she'd said dissuaded him. She supposed this was his way of expressing friendship and decided to do her best with his demonstrations of friendly affection.

She could never allow herself to forget that this was simply a difference in upbringing. His generosity was an admirable trait, but it meant nothing except that he regarded her fondly and that was just a mark of friendship. If she'd been able she supposed that she, too, would have given him keepsakes; as it was she'd decided to return his kindness with something hand made.

An embroidered handkerchief, she could manage that much. She'd never had much opportunity for indulging in leisure activities like that, her handiwork was more in line with patching trousers and reattaching hoods to capes, but she'd done her best to stitch a tree and small flowers. Certainly it wasn't elaborate or expensive, but she thought it appropriate. He would not misread her feelings with a gift as simple as this.

The thought of giving it to him made her frown though. Despite telling herself that it meant little she was acutely aware that she'd never given a present to anyone. This was the first time and it seemed she couldn't help placing significance behind the action.

"It does not matter," she murmured, shaking her head. Whether she felt more, or felt nothing at all, her circumstances would not be changed. She did not match Izana in any way; though she'd yet to meet Haki she knew the woman was well liked by those in the castle and, from the way the workers spoke, it seemed she was fondly looked upon by the entire kingdom.

Takara's eyes watered as her thoughts moved forward, into the future. She would not be able to stay, she knew she wouldn't. It would be best to begin planning her departure sooner rather than later.

The things she told herself notwithstanding, she recognized that her tender feelings for Izana would grow if she remained in his presence. He was too interesting, too beautiful a person, and to know that he would marry another was more of a burden than she could expect to bear.

For now she had her place and she would put away her pay, prepare to leave and live on her own once more. Even so, she did not think she could leave Wistal immediately. Clarines had proven to be a safe country and Wistal... Well, she'd never felt so comfortable before and Shirayuki's presence, though they were not close, helped to put her mind at ease. The red haired woman had been successful in this country, surely she would be able to do the same.

With those thoughts in mind she tied off the final thread and cut the string. It was finished. Two days of stitching and she didn't think she had much to brag about, but it was the best she could do. Now, she just had to get it to him.

Her work hours had shortened and yet her pay remained the same. It was a strange idea to her, but no complaint would pass her lips. It was good to broaden her horizons with different occupations, especially considering that she would be on her own once again, likely sooner rather than later.

Takara shook her head. The idea of leaving would not be uprooted, but dwelling on it did no good.

She left the lodging house to wander the grounds. She'd found this was the best way to meet with Izana; it seemed that if she strolled long enough he would eventually appear. Whether it was coincidence or his own spies sent to watch her she didn't know, but she wouldn't have put the former past him.

Izana was someone she could not easily describe or understand. In many ways she thought him cold, perhaps capable of making ruthless decisions, and yet his friendship meant the world to her. How was it possible to be so complex as that? She was almost frightened of him, but at the same time felt a mystifying sense of confidence that she need not fear him.

That was wrong. She should have been terrified of him and the way he'd taken hold of her heart, yet there she was hoping he would find her once again, so she could give him a gift she'd put time and effort into creating.

There had to be something wrong with her. No one of sound mind would pursue any type of relationship with a would-be king whom everyone knew would soon be engaged to a beautiful, kind, intelligent woman. Haki, whomever she was, sounded like the perfect match.

Again Takara was reminded of her need to leave. She tried not to think of it, dwelling on so sad a prospect couldn't be healthy, but it seemed that with every passing moment it became more imperative that she take her leave permanently.

 **/~/**

Izana did indeed find her as she walked the garden. He thought it amusing that she'd not realized her tendency to move in view of his office window; he would not tell her of this for fear she would think herself a disturbance and stop taking that path.

Instead he pretended that it was a happy accident, as though he'd not been unproductive for the last several hours and whittling away his time wishing she would come to him.

It was the wrong way to feel and he knew it, but he could not help the warmth that grew in his heart or the softening of his eyes when he caught sight of her. Truly he loved her and this feeling would not be gotten rid of; he did not want to do away with it, even if it were possible. Though he compared it to his love for Zen, the way he felt for Takara was brand new and would never be duplicated. He was certain that he would not love this way again.

He'd sent the guards away before he reached her side, something he didn't tell her, and together they strolled along the stone walkways without any clear destination.

He would have taken her hand, wanted to pull her beneath the bare tree and hold her close once more, but the knowledge of their reality forbid it. She was not to be his, though he desperately wished she would choose to be. He would not deny her.

Whatever she wanted he would give to her. Did she realize that? he wondered. Did she know how completely she owned him?

He wanted to tell her, more than once during their walk he thought of saying it. When she nearly tripped and he caught her by the elbow the words were on the tip of his tongue. When she thrust her gift toward him, blushing madly and refusing to meet his gaze, he nearly crumbled and confessed. When she left him with a smile that did not reach her eyes his hands twitched, aching to reach out and pull her back.

He resisted, but did not know for how long he would be able to endure. It was torturous to have her there, right beside him, yet unaware of his feelings and how did she feel?

He had to know. He would tell her.

This could not go on.

 **/~/**

She felt uneasy.

Izana had sent her a note, different from those she'd received before. Instructions he'd given, but they seemed strange to her. What good could come of a clandestine meeting in the dead of night? None. Surely there were more appropriate times available.

She sighed. His schedule was known to be hectic and tightly packed, yet he'd never asked this of her before. He had moments when he wished for them, so why was she creeping through the grounds feeling like a thief who was sure to be caught?

Takara would have screamed had he not covered her mouth. Out from the darkness his hand reached, securing itself over the lower half of her face and her jerk of fear cut him to the core. He laughed anyway, but he honestly felt bad for scaring her so dreadfully.

"You- you-," she panted as though she'd just finished running a mile. "You-!"

"I'm sorry."

"You aren't!"

Her violet eyes were wide, angry and upset, but he thought she'd never looked more beautiful and, in light of the decisions he'd made, did not try to stop his hands from putting themselves on her cheeks to cradle her face.

"I am sorry."

Takara had little more than a second to process what he was doing and then his lips met her forehead. She felt that she could hardly breathe. What was this now? On top of everything else he did this to her?

The words left her mouth without permission. "I will mistake your feelings." To her horror she heard her voice waver and felt moisture collecting in her tear ducts. Crying would be unforgivable! She refused to cry!

"You will not for I will make it impossible."

They would not be overheard, whatever was said would stay between the two of them. He'd made certain to position the guard in such a way as to keep them far from this place. No one knew he was meeting Takara, that he was about to speak things that may well be better left unsaid.

For her part Takara was inconsolable. She'd resolved not to cry, but the tears were falling despite her silent resolution. Was it happiness or sadness? A mixture of both, she decided, but despair was quickly becoming the predominate emotion. Whatever he said next would not change their circumstances.

"Izana," she could hardly speak his name.

"-denka."

"Eh?" she pulled back slightly, only to find that his tightened grip wouldn't allow it.

"If you want to leave, address me properly."

Her face grew hot, tears vanishing in the wake of this new annoyance. "That is deviant behavior!" she accused.

"What exactly, if you don't mind telling me darling, is _deviant_ about demanding respect?"

'Darling'. That sounded far too wonderful; this was impossible. "That isn't for respect, it's, it's... Because you're perverse!"

He couldn't fully suppress his laughter and her discomfort made it all the more difficult. He was forced to muffle the sound with her hair. When he regained control of his voice he said, "There is nothing perverse about– Well, perhaps that isn't true," and held fast when she jolted. He could imagine the look on her face. Aghast, surely. Perhaps a tiny bit pleased, though she would never admit to it. "What _is_ true is my love for you."

He felt the change in her posture.

"Ah," his tone was one of sorrow, resignation. "You do not believe me."

She felt the tears returning to her eyes. "I have heard the same many times before."

"Have I not shown you how I feel? Have I not expressed my love for you in actions?"

"You may think so," she paused, blinked away droplets that insisted on forming. "And yet you will marry another." She could hardly speak the words; his silence was answer enough. "Yes. See? As many before desired, so too do you. To keep me while legally bound to another."

"I will never force you to do anything, not even stay. I would humble myself, bow before you and beg you to change your mind, but I would not use my power to keep you. It is my duty to be wed."

"So it is, but I will be no party to adultery. Will your wife not expect to be loved by her husband? If and when you take a bride I will leave." His grasp slackened, allowed her to break away and step back.

"You would reduce me to pleading? I am many things, but a liar is not one of them. If you intend to leave I will make a fool of myself before whomever may be present!"

"Izana, you of all people know that words are not enough. Gifts are nothing. I will not be made a fool of and no woman you marry deserves that fate either. To be looked upon by everyone as a mere mistress, to be seen as an unloved bride... No. I will have none of that."

"Why must it be known?" Even as the words left his mouth he knew that it would be impossible to hide such a thing for long.

"How could it not? Are you no better than the vile men who've tried to have me, who would put me away, hidden from view to visit when they felt the stirrings of desire? I should hope you are not. But, if you are, then you are not the man I thought you were."

He could say nothing to stop her, could not find the strength to reach out, as she left. It was as she'd said. He was asking the worst things of her and he could not fault her for speaking the words. What she said was truth, but it cut him deeply.

He'd confessed his love and she'd not told him how she felt.

 **/~/**

Takara spent the night in the throws of desperation, her mind alternating between extremes. She was tempted to pack her things, leaving behind the gifts Izana had given her, and run. Another side, one she could hardly stand to acknowledge, wanted to compromise her beliefs and remain.

It was imperative now. She would leave as soon as she was able, giving herself no chance to make such a terrible choice as that. She'd meant what she said; she refused to be the intruder in a marriage. She would not sink to those depths.

Haki did not deserve that, no woman did, and she wouldn't allow her heart to get in the way of her head. Whether Izana truly loved her or not didn't matter, he would marry the head of the Academy District. She could hardly begin to think of his reasons for suggesting something so improper and considered that his 'love' may well be simple lust.

That was painful, but it could be true.

Whatever the case she would not remain much longer and for the few days she stayed she would not see him. She would do her work and nothing more.

Night passed into morning and Takara spent the hours planning her departure. Upon the start of the work day she told her supervisor that she would soon be leaving her post permanently. The surprise was visible, but she was not questioned and her request was accepted.

Upon finishing the day's labor she made a return to the kitchen where she was met, with much enthusiasm, by Suzuki who was devastated to hear that she would be leaving. Takara managed to get away with a promise from Aio-san of a letter of recommendation.

That was all she was waiting on. The moment that note came into her possession she would leave and she'd given strict instruction that word of this was not to spread. Even Suzuki was persuaded, by the seriousness with which she implored, to remain mum.

"I wish you would not, Takara."

Tearful eyes played on her heartstrings, but she would not be moved.

"I must."

 **/~/**

Izana was experiencing an acute case of heartache. He'd not seen hide nor hair of Takara for two days, had not received a missive from her in the usual way, and he couldn't find it in himself to open a dialogue. He'd said his piece, such as it was, and he could do nothing but wait for her to speak to him again.

His abstraction was well hidden. His work was completed to it's normal perfection and the plans for Haki's arrival were moving forward. It had been announced to the staff that his coronation was to come and plans were being made. This visit of Haki's was formal, not to technically announce an engagement, but it would serve as a step in that direction. When she appeared with himself and his family following the enthronement, the people would know that she was to be his wife.

He did not want it, yet could see no way around the plan. Haki was everything that the wife of a king should be. Not noble, but held in high regard and conventionally beautiful. They got along well enough. His people would be glad to call her queen.

And yet she was not the one he desired and he admitted that it had become impossible for him to love her; Izana doubted that even friendship could be achieved. Would she forgive him this? How could she, when he could not forgive himself?

Forgiveness was not something he could ask of her; he would never deserve it.

He sat alone in his office as the hour grew late and the air cooled. He didn't notice it as he began to shiver, the fire had long ago died out and he'd not had even the will to light the oil lamp upon his table. Instead he sat, wallowing in his misery, until the doors burst open.

He stood in shock, prepared to draw his sword, when he recognized the one who'd entered. "Mother!" he could not contain his surprise. "You were not to arrive for two months yet."

The look upon her face silenced him and he could do nothing as she ordered the fire lit; the others were then sent away with the wave of her hand. The woman in question wasted no time with pleasantries. "How could I keep away when my first born was in such suffering that he wrote to me, telling me of his pain?"

His face colored in embarrassment. He'd hoped the letter failed to reach her, that it had somehow been destroyed, but his silent pleas for mercy went unheeded.

"Izana," she stepped forward. "You will listen to me now without interruption. I will believe nothing that comes out of your mouth if it is contrary to what you wrote. I felt honesty in those words and, my son whom I love you, are being a _fool_." She held up a hand when he made to speak. "No! You will be silent. To what purpose do you pursue this girl when she has told you that she will refuse you? Why do you torment both she and yourself this way? You fail to see the truth, Izana. You, and Takara, will labor under depression should you continue this path. Is that what the people of Clarines deserve?" She noted his change of expression; it was subtle, but to the eyes of his mother it meant everything. "To have a king who is not in love with his queen, who will always pine for another? Do you think you can do your best work under those conditions? I do not. I _know_ you cannot, though you would try." She shook her head and stepped forward. "Izana. You are making the wrong choice. I understand the way you are thinking, but you have made an error in judgment."

He could hardly accept what she was telling him. He understood that the words she spoke were true, but he'd told himself differently for many weeks.

"Izana," she recalled his attention when she realized that he was working to deny what she'd said. "It would be wrong to marry Haki. I know it was planned, at the time it seemed like a wonderful match, but if she is not the one you love then do not do her the disservice of being wed to a man who can never care for her properly. I'm sure that you feel duty bound to marry someone of status, but to what purpose? That is not one of our laws." She reached out, put her hand to his cheek. "You have no excuse and you must do what is right. I'm sure you're concerned about the reception of the people, but what would make them happier? To see their King well loved or to know that he is missing another?"

She had pulled his hollow arguments away and there was nothing he could say in his own defense. His mother had always been direct, she never minced words, and he knew her judgment was sound.

This would be an unpleasant conversation to have with Haki, but he saw now that it must be done; in fact, he wondered how he'd been so blind. In the light of his mother's honesty his own dark plans seemed all the worse. How could he have thought Takara so weak as to cave to his pleadings? She was of strong mind and her convictions were not easily altered. She would never be with him if he insisted on marrying Haki and he'd been an idiot to hope otherwise.

That was bad enough, but to have misjudged his people so abysmally was just as horrible. They would not begrudge their King's happiness if he married the one he loved, however they would find it difficult to stomach a man who married one while spending his nights with another, as they should.

All in all he'd been a complete moron.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

Takara left the palace the day before the queen's unexpected arrival. With a small bag packed full of all her few possessions she fled the place of torment, leaving behind a note and the gifts she'd been given. No clues to her destination, but she couldn't stand the thought of leaving without a word. That would be too cowardly. It was bad enough that she'd not told him in person.

She wandered the town, searching for a place to stay and perhaps a place of employment, when she was approached by a man outside a busy shop front.

She'd been speaking to the owner, asking if he had any open positions or if any were known of, when the stranger introduced himself. "I could not help but over hear, as it happens the landlord of the building I live in, just down there, is looking for a cleaning hand. I could take you to ask about the position."

Part of her felt uneasy, it seemed too good to be true, and yet Clarines had not failed her yet. The vast majority were kindhearted and it wasn't as if she'd exposed herself. She was wearing her hood as always and this man had done nothing to warrant suspicion.

"I thank you-?"

"Ah," his chuckle was a pleasant one. "Kikeran. Haito Kikeran."

"Yes, Kikeran-san. Thank you, I will accept that offer."

She followed after him, listening as he spoke of his wife and found herself envying the simple life the two lived. She was with child, he said, and they had been married five years.

"Wait just a moment," he instructed when they reached his home. "I will call for the landlord."

Takara did as told and stood quietly within the entryway. It was a nice complex, well maintained. She thought there must be three or four apartments in total.

Kikeran returned a minute later with an apologetic smile. "It seems he's stepped out for a moment, but I was told he will return shortly. If you're not adverse to it, you would be welcome to wait in our flat, have a bit of tea? I'm sure my wife would be glad to meet you."

She hesitated, weighed the situation. He seemed to be an honest sort of person and others had seen her enter the building with him. There was no cause for alarm.

"That would be lovely, thank you."

 **/~/**

Takara sat alone in the main living space of the apartment on a hard sofa; Haito, as he insisted she call him, had disappeared to find his wife and prepare the tea.

"She has laid down to rest, though she gives her greetings and hopes to meet you soon." He laughed. "Please don't feel obligated to leave, the tea will only take a moment."

It was small, but suited the needs of the couple he'd said. They had enough for the two of them and when the child arrived they would begin the search for a home with more room to grow.

"Here you are," he returned to the guest with tea in hand, sat in the arm chair. "We'll go back to the first floor shortly. Perhaps he will have returned by then."

She nodded and sipped the drink. It was strong, slightly bitter, but not unpleasant. "Thank you again," she said. "I truly appreciate your effort."

"Ah, there is no effort here! It's perfectly fine."

Another sip.

"The position is a good one. You would be given a room here. It is small, but certainly better than nothing at all!"

"I'm sure it is and I would be grateful."

Her eyes felt strangely heavy.

"Yes, I suppose anyone would be."

The tea cup shattered as it hit the floor, her grip had slackened and she gasped as her vision blurred.

"To be wanted so badly by Tallow that he would go to such lengths," Haito remained seated as she attempted to stand, watched as she lost her balance and collapsed. "I suppose you will have a good life with him. Well," he stood, lifted the unconscious girl. "That's not my business."

She was deposited in the bedroom, bound and gagged. He locked the door behind him and left the flat to send a message. His mission had been completed. Takara Hinoson had been captured, she'd left the palace of her own will and would be transported to Mariquet.

He was one of three sent to Clarines to watch for the day Takara sought new employment. There would be a reward in this for him and a hefty one at that.

Initially he'd been skeptical of the merit of this plan, but he was in no position to question his employer and Kain had been resolute. The moment he returned to Mariquet he'd gathered three together, gave his instructions and sent them to Clarines. It seemed the boy was not as insane as Haito had thought him.

It would take at least a day for the preparations to be completed and that was only if everything went according to plan. In any case all he had to do until then was wait for the carriage to arrive, the rest was up to others.

She would be sent off in the dead of night, delivered to the one who'd sought her company.

The girl was too easily misled, but that worked in his favor. She'd not questioned him, not once, hadn't found it strange that he'd not asked her name and followed without a second thought. He'd known her by her eyes, they'd been described as her most striking feature and were hard to miss, but he'd also been warned that she would fight. It had been left up to their own discretion to deal with that aspect and he thought his idea of heavily medicated tea terribly clever.

Haito supposed he should be grateful to her; his debts would be repaid thanks to her carelessness.

 **/~/**

Izana went to Takara's room directly. Though the hour was late and it was hardly appropriate he couldn't stand to be left in suspense for a moment longer.

She would accept him now and he could hardly contain his joy at the thought.

The warmth in his chest turned stone cold when he found her room bare, save for the things he'd sent to her and a note addressed to himself.

 _Izana,_

 _I may have been gone for days before you find this, but I will not tell you when I left. I will not tell you of my plans. Understand that I must do what I feel is right._

 _Takara_

Succinct.

"You- She-," his rage was immediate, overwhelming his sorrow and it was directed inward. He'd been a fool for too long. She'd left him.

This would not stand.

 **/~/**

The guard was dispatched immediately, the forest searched and when no signs of her were found in those areas, or on the roads, it was decided that the city would be combed through beginning the moment the hour struck six.

She could not have been gone long, two days at the most and Izana learned that it had only been one when he insisted on waking the staff to question them.

Zen was in a state of awe. First he'd been woken by Mitsuhide and informed of the surprise return of his mother and now this? What had happened to his elder brother to make him behave in such strange ways?

Thinking on it he supposed he could understand and he couldn't help the slight smirk as he considered the implications of these actions. It seemed Takara had stolen the heart of the Ice Prince.

"Zen," Kiki spoke when he moved toward the door.

"We're going out!"

His attendants shared a chuckle and a smile before following after their friend and sovereign; the quest to find Takara had begun.

 **/~/**

The missing girl woke to find herself incapacitated with her hands and ankles tied and a cloth in her mouth. From her position on the bed she could see out the room's sole window and Takara realized that it was the dawning of a new day.

She wondered what sort of medicinal properties the tea she'd drunk had, briefly considered that Shirayuki might know, and then recognized that idle thoughts would get her nowhere.

Who was the man who'd deceived her? She tried to place his face, his voice, but nothing about him was familiar. She had no knowledge of her captor.

Kicking herself for her blind trust Takara considered her situation. It had been an immeasurably stupid decision to follow him. How could she have placed so much faith in a stranger? Did she not know better by this time in her life? After all that she'd been though, all the near misses, she had finally been caught _and_ by her own fault.

She'd spent too long in comfort; the instincts she'd honed over the many years of travel had dulled from want of use. Even so, she knew there was no real excuse for her mistake and she had no one to blame but herself.

Her grief was immense, but she'd not been wallowing long when the bedroom door burst open to reveal a face she'd grown used to seeing, though only from afar.

There stood Prince Zen, wide eyed at the sight of her and behind him were his aids, who had hold of the man who'd taken her captive.

Her bindings were undone with speed and Takara attempted to convey her gratitude, but found that she was unsteady on her feet. Standing left her with a swimming head and she did not manage to utter even a word before once again falling into unconsciousness.

 **/~/**

"...together like this...a powerful medication..."

Takara knew that voice.

"...sleep aids that never should have been mixed with one another..."

It was the one she'd heard when she first entered the Palace of Clarines, belonged to the red-headed woman who held the heart of the second prince, or so the castle gossipers would have her believe.

"She just needs to sleep now."

"I will remain here."

The sound of _his_ words opened her eyes and Shirayuki, who'd positioned herself at the end of the bed, realized that the patient had awoken.

"Ah!" she gasped. "Awake? Already? It's too soon!"

Takara's eyes were not on the attending physician or her look of shock, instead her gaze rested on the back of the man she'd intended to escape. There he stood, as noble as ever with his head held high, and she felt a chill run through her veins. He was too still and she imagined that he was furious.

Shirayuki moved to her side, touched her forehead and watched as eyelids fluttered. "Don't try to fight sleep," she murmured earnestly. "You need it right now. Everything will be alright, you're safe again."

"I'm not-", but her words were garbled and her thoughts clouded. Sleep was coming for her once more and it was too difficult to keep her eyes open.

Shirayuki watched as Takara fell back into dreams, turned to speak some words of relief to the first prince only to find that he'd disappeared, silently as ever. She did not know the full extent of the problems that existed between Izana and Takara, but they were evidently deep seeded and serious. He'd spent the better part of the day in the infirmary, leaving only once to issue judgment upon the man who'd held her captive.

It was clear enough that Izana had feelings for Takara and Zen confirmed her musings, adding his own observations to the mix. By the end of their discussion they were both wearing confused expressions as they tried, and failed, to imagine what Izana might be like in love.

That was impossible to envision, but they found that they both hoped his feelings would be returned and for roughly the same reasons. Zen because as far apart as he sometimes felt from his brother, he still cared about him deeply. Shirayuki, meanwhile, wanted to see both princes happy.

For a while they tried to devise a plan to help the two along, but they separated without making progress; there wasn't much they could do. Whatever had transpired between Izana and Takara was going to stay between them.

Shirayuki returned to the infirmary, spent another moment observing the sleeping woman, and then went about her business. There were still other things to do.

The job of a palace pharmacist was ever busy.

 **/~/**

Haruto Wistaria very much loved her sons, so it was no wonder that she grew interested in learning more of the women who'd captured their hearts. As their mother her main concern was that their feelings may have been too strong, that their love might not be returned. As a queen she worried they may find themselves caring for the wrong sorts of people, those who would fake affection for power.

She heard from those who'd worked with Shirayuki and those who worked with Takara. Neither appeared to be gold diggers. They were each painted as hard workers who insisted on pulling their own weight. They were alike, in more than one way, and the dowager queen found the idea that her sons were attracted to the same type of partner amusing.

Izana would not have been kind to Shirayuki, she knew he must have tested the girl, he may have even been cruel; to find that he fell for a woman of such unmistakably similar stature must have been a blow to his pride.

And yet he'd written to her in desperation. To him the love he felt seemed hopeless. Zen's road was not easy either, but Izana was to be king.

"Ah," she muttered. "Difficulties."

Even so she meant what she'd said. There were no laws forbidding his union with one of common rank and, unless Takara proved to be less than trustworthy, she would not stand in his way. At this point it seemed Izana's largest obstacle would be convincing his lady love that he would be faithful and that she would not disturb his life's path.

Takara's flight appeared, to Haruto, to be the surest sign of her worth. She'd refused the idea of standing as mistress and left the castle altogether to keep Izana from following that dangerous trail. Her own pride was surely part of it, but there were a great many women who would have put that feeling aside for such a position. Unable to convince Izana of his folly, or perhaps she was convinced _she_ was the one foolish, she'd left his presence.

As for the red-haired pharmacist she'd heard from Izana that when they first met she, "...called me Zen's older brother."

That alone was worth a laugh and though he admitted to giving Zen a hard time over it, he also said that he did not hold any true objections. There was no plan to reveal this to the pair in question, but if Shirayuki was not scorned by Izana then Haruto saw no reason to inquire further.

It appeared that her son's had learned well how to choose their life's partners. It was a relief to their mother, who often felt a sense of guilt for leaving them on their own. The death of her husband had been hard on her heart and soul, one that resulted in her taking on far more work than she should have. In the end she developed something of an allergy to the castle in which her son's resided.

Once Izana was mature enough to handle the responsibility she'd handed over control of the domicile and left them for another residence, but there was never a day that she didn't miss them, that she didn't worry over them.

In some ways she'd been more troubled over Izana than Zen. The younger was brighter, happier than his elder brother. His kindness attracted a few of the unscrupulous it was true, but he was generally a good judge of character and those under his command were unquestionably loyal. He trusted many and they trusted him in turn. Love, once found, would come easily to Zen. His emotions were unmistakable and he did not attempt to hide or run from them.

Izana commanded the same type of loyalty, but the reasons for it were different. He was cold, calculating, and his judgment sound. He could play the role of ruthless all too easily. Haruto had been concerned that he would have trouble truly loving someone because of his suspicious nature and, even if he did love, would that woman ever realize it? Would Izana allow himself to become someone who displayed that kind of emotion?

That was the reason she'd not been opposed to the engagement with Haki. The head of the academy district was both beautiful and intelligent. She was well suited to the role of queen and, in all honesty, Haruto had not expected Izana to find romantic love. If that was not part of his fate then this arranged match was preferable.

Things had changed though. Izana was clearly in love with Takara and the queen suspected the common girl loved him back. Loved him enough to do what was right despite the pain it would cause them both. Haruto knew the feeling of loosing one's true love all too well; hers had been taken from her, to willingly leave because it was right was a strength she doubted even she possessed.

A powerful sense of morality, duty, and force of will. All necessary traits for one who would be queen.

However, a question remained and Haruto intended to see it answered in person.

 **/~/**

When Takara next awoke she was met by a woman she'd never before seen. Despite this she felt immediately that she was the mother of Izana, the queen of Clarines. She had the same blond hair and the resemblance between the three family members was unmistakable.

"Ah, you're awake."

She was at a loss for words. What was she to say to the queen? Why was she here at all? She'd not heard tell of preparations for her arrival. Surely everyone would have been in an uproar if they'd known Haruto Wistaria was due to visit.

"There is no need to be nervous. I have only a small question that requires an honest answer. Do you feel up to answering?"

In all honesty Takara was not sure she did. She had a headache, her throat felt incredibly dry, and her eyes refused to focus for more than a moment. Still, she pushed into sitting position, nodded, and tried to swallow the rising nerves.

 _Liar_ , Haruto thought as she watched the girl prepare. She was not at all physically well, but it seemed she was fine mentally. Another strength, though she knew from experience that working through illness and pain could take it's toll if one did not regulate oneself. The queen supposed that was something to be learned through experience. Hopefully this violet-eyed maiden was not as pigheadedly stubborn as herself.

"Well then, I am very much like Izana," she watched for a reaction to his name and was not disappointed. It was small, a fist subtly clenched at the blanket, had she been any less observant the queen would have missed it. "I ask direct questions and expect direct answers. One word is all I need from you, a simple 'yes' or 'no'. Tell me, Takara Hinoson," she looked the girl in the eye. "Do you love my son? Do you truly love Izana Wistaria, the first prince of Clarines who is to be king?"

 _I should have expected this_ , Takara thought as her cheeks heated. _Of course that is why she is here._ But, she had no further insight. Whether the queen was there to wreck havoc or play cupid she did not know. In any case to tell a falsehood would do no good. Lies rarely led to good outcomes at the best of times, much less in a situation as important as this.

It was not difficult for her to find the answer, only embarrassing to speak it.

"Yes."

She could not meet the eyes of the queen, could not even look at her face. It was too difficult to think that she may be against it. To hear the words spoken was one thing, but to see that expression, to be looked down upon by one so far above her, was too much to stomach.

Haruto did not require explanation for Takara's inability to make eye contact. Her flushed face spoke volumes, but her answer had been clear. There was no shaking in her voice, no hesitation. The truth was spoken.

She had no practiced response to give. Instead she stood, smiled at the girl who was still incapable of meeting her gaze, and said, "That is acceptable."

The queen's back was already turned when Takara's head shot up and even if she'd known what to say she wouldn't have had the time. The woman disappeared without another word and Takara was left to absorb the implications of what she'd just been told.

The Queen of Clarines had given her permission to love Izana. The mother of a future king had come to sit by her bedside, for how long Takara did not know, to ask if a girl of no rank had feelings for her son. More than that, she'd given her approval.

She fell back against the bed, hands covering her face as the reality settled in her mind.

Queen Haruto would not have come to see her without purpose; her decision had already been set. That meant she'd been made aware of the situation ahead of time. There was only one person with the ability to speak of the circumstances surrounding her non-relationship with the first prince and that was Izana himself.

Her mind was reeling. The significance of the meeting was almost too much to bear. She didn't dare hope that Izana would have her now though. She'd run away from him and put herself in a dangerous position; it was pure luck that she'd not been violated. Her stupidity led her into the clutches of a man with evil purpose. If not for Zen and his aids she may have found herself in an even worse position.

There was no logical reason that Izana should still desire her. She'd demonstrated herself to be quite the fool.

Those were the thoughts whirling through Takara's mind when the first prince entered the sickbay. So distracted was she that she did not notice his presence, even when he stood beside her bed.

Izana took a very small bit of pleasure in startling her once more.

One sharp inhale later Takara had been made aware of her visitor. A tap to the shoulder successfully pulled her from introspection, though she did not appreciate the scare. It was surprising enough to see him at all.

She didn't know what to say. For a long moment she stared, clouded purple met icy blue, but her eyes fell to the sheets when she realized that all she could offer was an apology.

With a deep, steadying breath she met his gaze again. He was unchanged, seemingly aloof and composed as ever. She wondered if he'd had any regret upon finding her missing, considered that she may have caused him grave injury, and then asked his forgiveness.

"Izana-denka," she was sure she'd forfeited the privilege of speaking to him informally. "I must apologize for taking rash actions. I assure you that I did not mean to cause a commotion. I meant only to leave. The circumstances that led to my capture were of my own doing, I was foolish." She lost her nerve as her eyes misted and turned to stare out the window beside her station. "Again, Izana-denka, I apologize for the-"

He sat on the edge of the bed, effectively cutting her off. Takara fell silent as his weight shifted the mattress, but still refused to face him. What must he think of her? Her hands wrung in her lap, twisted the linens, as she fought back tears.

"Have you any idea," he watched her stiffen. "How I felt when I went to speak with you, only to find you gone?" The question was rhetorical, even if he'd expected an answer he knew she didn't have one to give. "You do not. You are also ignorant of what I meant to say. I will tell you now, so that you will not have the opportunity to disappear again as I'm sure you were planning."

His pause was too long. Truly, she thought, he had a knack for making people uncomfortable. It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't purposely done, but she knew it was. Putting those around him on edge, keeping them in suspense, she felt sure he enjoyed it.

"I do not wish for you to think of me as the first prince of Clarines or even the king of Clarines. To you, and only to you forevermore, I wish to be 'husband'."


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

She heard the words he spoke, but they did not make sense.

"You say that you were foolish, perhaps it was an absurd decision to leave, but you would not have done it if not for my own madness. The fear that came over me when I found you'd gone was deserved. However, I will not accept that I should be made to _continue_ to worry over the state of our relationship. You must answer. Takara," he placed a hand over both of hers, the other he brought to her cheek; with it he guided her head so that he could see the expression on her face. "You need only say 'Yes' or 'No'. I have told you what I hope for, will you accept me?"

It was impossible. Had he not been adamant that this could not happen? He was practically engaged to another! Everyone in the castle fully expected to soon hear news of a wedding to a woman of great stature.

To say 'yes' or 'no'. He truly was like his mother. She'd given the same instruction, though it had not been so difficult to answer the queen. Izana's request was another matter. It wasn't that Takara didn't know what she _wanted_ to say, but it did not seem right.

But, that wasn't what he was asking. He wasn't wondering if she thought this the correct decision, he needed to know if she would accept him. There could only be one answer.

"Yes."

And with that whispered word tears fell afresh because in her heart of hearts she knew it couldn't work, but if he was willing despite all that would be against them then why should she lie?

She spent several minutes lost to weeping, it was both joyous and confused, as Izana held her. An arm around her back, a hand on her head, he allowed her to lean into his chest and ask all the garbled questions that spilled forth.

"Wha 'il p-p-pepl think?...chnged yur mind...don't know why I'm c-c-rying!"

"The staff will undoubtedly be all aflutter, the citizens had no idea of the rumors excepting that I may soon marry. I have my mother to thank for speaking sense through my stubborn blindness and y _ou_ are crying because you are tired, ill, and overwhelmed. I wish you would stop."

Calm and cool as ever, but she loved him anyway. It was ridiculous and nonsensical and she couldn't make heads nor tails of the situation, but it appeared that she'd lately become engaged.

To a first prince.

Who was to be king.

The tears halted instantly as the gravity of the situation impressed itself upon her.

"I don't know anything about anything," she said quickly, pushing away from her _fiance_. That word held so much meaning. She wasn't preparing to marry a baker or a farmer, Izana was to be crowned ruler over Clarines and she had no idea what kind of regulations she would have to follow.

"You will learn," he assured as she pulled back. "You are neither stupid or silly, I would not have loved you if you were. The queen would not have given her blessing if she thought you incompetent."

Compliments aside Takara was still leery of the future that was rapidly approaching.

"I'm not sure I'll ever put faith in my own intelligence again," she admitted. "So, that isn't very reassuring."

"Nothing but time will persuade you. I remain convinced that your efforts will see you well prepared." Her eyes fluttered to a close as his voice dropped and he leaned closer. "Takara, the one whom I love, you must never run from me again." His lips ghosted over hers as he spoke. "If you leave I will find you, I will never stop looking for you." He pressed his mouth to hers. "I will always want you."

The confession bubbled to her lips and spilled out, "I love you."

Their foreheads rested against one another and he waited until she opened her eyes to answer in kind, "As I love you."

/~/

Her room had been changed and everything was a whirlwind. There was not a moment of peace to be had as she was outfitted with a new, appropriate wardrobe, and began lessons in everything related to decorum.

Instruction was led by the queen herself and she was no easy teacher. Mistakes were not overlooked and praise was never given until fully deserved. Haruto was not unkind, but she was direct in her delivery of criticism.

Takara spent all her days in intense study, largely sheltered from the pandemonium that swept through the castle. She did not bare witness to the muted hissy-fit thrown by Lord Haruka or the shock of those she'd once worked with. News of rumors was kept from her and she was not privy to the knowledge of the notice that was sent out among the employees, written by Izana himself, when their wild gossip hit new lows. Neither was she aware of the purging that came when a few were found to be incapable of keeping their idle thoughts to themselves.

He would tell her someday, he supposed, but not for a long while. It did no harm to ignore the words of rumormongers who were not worth their time, especially when she was up to her lovely eyes in instructional work.

Truly he was impressed with her forbearance and proud of all that she accomplished in the months leading up to his crowning. She underwent a transformation; ever the one he loved, yet even more so if that were possible. Takara was a wonder and he expected to marvel at her for the rest of their days.

She stood with himself and his family when he was presented to the people as king. They cheered, waved small replicas of the flag of Clarines, and were ecstatic to see that the one their ruler would wed was beautiful.

" _She has a kind face."_

" _An extraordinary beauty to match with our king!"_

" _She must be wonderful, do you not think she looks as though she must?"_

That wasn't to say that all had the same feelings, but that was inevitable. Whoever stood with him would have to face the disapproval of some.

Meanwhile the end of the engagement that never started was met with some hostility, though not by the one scorned. Haki had not loved the intended nor did she begrudge his happiness, it was her brother who took issue with Izana. However there was nothing to be done except sending a strongly worded letter; it was never actually sent to the addressed because the woman in question was able to intercept and burn it. Her brother remained unaware and she hoped to keep it that way. In any case she'd lately found herself entranced by the eyes of a certain researcher and was infinitely grateful that she'd not married the wrong man.

/~/

 _ **Nearly A Year Later**_

It was not often that he was able to carve out an afternoon to spend with Takara, but he'd planned long in advanced for this and he would be damned before he allowed anyone to intrude upon their hard won time alone. So, he'd set guards at all entrances to the garden, ordered that everyone keep far away, and threatened expulsion from the kingdom should they be disturbed for anything less than war or Zen's impending demise.

"Izana."

She was beautiful, he didn't believe he would ever tire of looking at her, and every moment he spent in her presence was cherished above all else.

"Izana."

Her irritation was plain and he couldn't help but recall that she'd been rather short with him as late. He'd wondered at her lack of patience just the day before after she stormed away from him, over something ridiculous, only to fall asleep early that night.

" _Izana!"_

"Yes, my love?"

The look on her face was far from amused, in fact he thought she might be debating leaving, but an arm about her waist kept her in place. He towed her from the stone path to stand beneath one of the flowering trees and her sigh of resignation was a sign of compliance. Truthfully he was a bit hurt by her annoyance, he could think of nothing he'd done to warrant her continued vexation.

"Takara." Her eye twitched, but she otherwise refrained from acknowledging that he'd spoken to her. Her idea of fair play, perhaps? "I am sorry, dearest," he put his hands to her face, made her look at him. "It's just that you are so stunningly lovely that I could hardly begin to–"

"Stop that," she swatted at him with a huff. "I've never desired false praise."

"My praise is never false, darling." His kiss was not rejected, neither was the second or third, but she pulled back when he attempted a fourth, opting instead to slide her arms around his middle and lean her head against his chest.

"Izana, I have something to tell you."

He stroked her hair; she'd had it trimmed earlier in the day. "Yes?"

"Shirayuki has confirmed it already, so she was the first to know, but she's not told a soul and I did wait a few weeks because I wanted to be _very_ sure-" she was rambling and she realized it, but it was more difficult than she'd thought it would be to tell him of this newest development. She rubbed her face against the soft fabric of his white shirt in an attempt to pull herself together. It was better to say it simply. A deep breath and then, "I am with child."

The hand on her head froze as the world stopped turning and the universe exploded only to be rebuilt with a newer, brighter, brilliant sun at it's center.

/~/

She was woken at a most inconvenient hour in the worst pain she'd ever experienced. Izana was briefly both horrified and terrified, but the midwife was sent for and labor progressed quickly.

"My Lady, you need to keep pushing!"

A wild gasp, "What? Why? _What!?_ "

"Takara, there is another–"

" _WHAT?!"_ Surely that was said in jest and Shirayuki, who was called upon when another set of hands was required, needed a better set of jokes if this was what she thought of as funny because-

"-so you must push again. Once more! The head is already visible. One more strong push!"

Her resolve hardened and with a grip that left Izana cringing she inhaled deeply before pulling on all of her strength. There was another! One son crying and someone else, who was this other life? Later she would tell Izana that she'd been right, remind him of her complaints only weeks ago that the space inside her felt _too_ full, as if more than one little occupant had taken up residence. He'd laughed.

Well, he wasn't laughing now and though she couldn't see his face, she'd closed her eyes as if that would make her stronger, she could feel that both his hands were holding hers. As he pressed a kiss to her clenched fist another cry sounded, just as strong as the first, and the attendant announced, "A girl!"

Takara fell back against the pillows, tears flowing freely as both infants were placed in her arms and Izana felt he'd never experienced a joy like this before.

/~/

Sleep did not exist and it never had.

/~/

The presentation of the kingdom's new little rulers came six months after their birth, once it had been established that slumber was indeed a function of all humans, and Hajime, along with his sister Fumiko, captured the love of their people instantly.

The tiny blonds grew rapidly, violet eyes ever curious and shining, regardless of the trouble they got up to.

Days were full to the brim with light and laughter, occasional tears and a tantrum or two, but the love of Izana and Takara never dimmed. They remained in a perpetual state of adoring affection to their very last days.

And they all lived happily ever after.

 **The End**

 **A/N: I'm glad so many people enjoyed this story! I'm sorry this final chapter took such a long time to post, I had many things to be doing, but I plan to write more Akagami no Shirayukihime fics in the future (I 3 Izana too much to stay away) & I hope you'll read those when the time comes.**

 **Thanks again for reading!**


End file.
